The King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham has formed an important partnership with the Army, Navy and RAF by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
By securing a Bronze Award through the Employer Recognition Scheme, the Foundation have pledged to:
- promote the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation;
- seek to support the employment of veterans young and old and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers;
- strive to support the employment of Service spouses and partners;
The Armed Forces Covenant represents a promise to ensure those who serve, or have served, as well as their families, are treated fairly. Its key principles are that the Armed Forces community should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services; and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
In signing the Covenant, the Foundation has also pledged to support our staff who would like to become Reservists (open to people aged 16-49 years) or Cadet Force Adult Volunteers. If you, or someone you know would be interested in becoming a Reservist or Adult Volunteer, a quick guide can be found
here.
Bobby Birdi (ex King Edward VI Aston School student) Regional Employer Engagement Director for the West Midlands Reserve Forces & Cadets Association comments “We are delighted that the King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham have made this public commitment. Employer support is vital to ensuring that reservists can balance civilian work with being part of the Armed Forces. As an organisation, you will be helping to raise awareness of the tremendous variety of career opportunities available to people in the military, bridging the gap between those serving in our Armed Forces and the communities they serve.”
We will also be partnering with the engagement teams at the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force to provide students with enrichment activities and careers guidance.
The Ministry of Defence sponsors and supports four cadet forces (voluntary youth organisations). They offer challenging and enjoyable activities for young people preparing them to play an active part in the community while developing valuable life skills.
This is an important and valuable partnership that is of mutual benefit. The Foundation can help Armed Forces personnel in utilising their skills in an educational setting, whilst also highlighting to our staff and students the benefits of supporting the Armed Forces to help encourage the next generation to join up and serve.
For further information on the covenant and everything it involves, please visit
www.wmrfca.org/employers/armed-forces-covenant/
