Boroughbridge, UK: Reed Boardall has gained a Silver award, accredited by the Ministry of Defence, as part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme recognising Reed Boardall’s commitment as an armed forces-friendly organisation.
Reed Boardall has over 20 veterans, regulars and reservists in the business with eight soon to join.
The Silver award, nominated by a third party, was given to the company as part of its pledge to advocating support to defence and the armed forces, and aligning its values with the Armed Forces Covenant. In November 2022 Reed boardall achieved a Bronze award.
Marcus Boardall, chief executive, Reed Boardall, said: “Reed Boardall has long recognised that many of the values and skills of forces personnel align well with our own culture. As a supportive family business, we’ve worked hard in recent years to formalise our links with former and serving defence personnel, providing well-structured career opportunities for those leaving the armed forces and giving them the peace of mind of working in an environment that understands them. It’s very satisfying to see our policies helping people move into a new career and also resulting in so much new talent coming into the company.”
Reed Boardall’s in-house Driver Academy is popular with defence personnel seeking a new career, providing skills and qualifications to become an HGV driver. The company has introduced a ‘buddy’ system to help smooth the transition into civilian life. It has also adapted its employment policies to accommodate the training and deployment needs of those still serving where possible. The company has also built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders, and is has partnering with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership, Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.
“This Silver award is another fantastic achievement for the team. It is a real accolade to be nominated for such a prestigious award from the MOD by CTP and some of the charities with which we work, and is a further demonstration of how much we value services personnel and our commitment to supporting military families. We hope that more businesses put initiatives in place to welcome those embarking on a new career, whether they are veterans, services personnel or ex-offenders, and we are already working towards the ERS Gold award,” Marcus Boardall said.
Reed Boardall is continuing to undertake a number of initiatives such as participating in CTP recruitment days at Catterick Garrison and job fairs in Newcastle.
Sarah Roberts, group financial director, Reed Boardall and chief executive Marcus Boardall, Marcus Boardall, chief executive, Reed Boardall
