Speech

Corporate covenant

Speech by Mark Francois, Minister of State for the Armed Forces.

• From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Mark Francois MP
• Published: 13 March 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

• Location: Employer Conference, Barbican
• Delivered on: 11 March 2015 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Introduction

I바카라 사이트檓 delighted to be here for the first annual conference of this type between defence and employers바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�just one of the many signs that there has been a welcome step-change in our relationship.

For those of you who don바카라 사이트檛 know, I바카라 사이트檓 the Minister for the Armed Forces 바카라 사이트� and I바카라 사이트檓 delighted to be Stu Peach바카라 사이트檚 바카라 사이트渨arm up act바카라 사이트�.

It can be an unexpectedly hazardous occupation바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�but not in the way you might think

(Chicksands)

My background

But, of course, in all sorts of other ways my role is the most rewarding one imaginable.

And today we바카라 사이트檙e discussing the covenant 바카라 사이트�a subject very close to my heart.

바카라 사이트�not just because I served as the departmental Whip at the time we were enshrining the principles of the covenant into law.

바카라 사이트�not just because바카라 사이트�when I became a minister바카라 사이트�I had quite a bit to do with drafting the original Corporate Covenant

바카라 사이트�but because바카라 사이트�as someone whose father served on a minesweeper on D-Day 바카라 사이트�someone who served as an infantry officer in the Territorial Army at the height of the Cold War 바카라 사이트�and someone who sees the incredible work of our service men and women day in day out

바카라 사이트�I know how important it is that we help those who lay their lives on the line to help us

We listened to you

As suppliers of talent to our armed forces바카라 사이트�as well as providers of opportunity바카라 사이트�employers have a greater stake in the covenant than most

But we knew our relationship with you left room for improvement.

So we made sure we listened to what you had to say.

In our reserves green paper consultation we spoke to many employers across the country.

바카라 사이트�the message that came back was that you wanted a more open and predictable relationship.

바카라 사이트�one where you didn바카라 사이트檛 find another person at the end of the line every time you rang us up.

So we promised you a single point of contact.

And we kept our word.

Last spring we set up the Defence Relationship Management team.

바카라 사이트�providing clearer lines of communication between you and defence.

Why we came up with the covenant

Also, as part of this process바카라 사이트�we in the Ministry of Defence바카라 사이트�realised that many companies large and small instinctively wanted to do their bit for service personnel바카라 사이트�their families바카라 사이트�and, indeed, for veterans.

바카라 사이트�but were unsure how to best go about it.

There were a number of initiatives but no easily accessible template.

We needed something that was simple.

바카라 사이트�something non-bureaucratic바카라 사이트�(which is바카라 사이트�I know바카라 사이트�asking a lot of government!)

바카라 사이트�something specifically designed so companies from the largest in the land.

바카라 사이트�to the smallest and most humble .

바카라 사이트�could demonstrate their support for all those who wear the Queen바카라 사이트檚 uniform.

So we created that template.

And called it the Corporate Covenant.

바카라 사이트�with a menu of options for companies to:

바카라 사이트�declare themselves armed forces friendly 바카라 사이트�provide job advice and interviews for veterans and service spouses 바카라 사이트�support our reserves 바카라 사이트�offer exclusive discounts for members of the armed forces community 바카라 사이트�or even back their local cadet unit

In true MOD style officials produced a detailed explanatory note on how it would work바카라 사이트�some 10 pages long. That swiftly became a victim of the ministerial red pen. It바카라 사이트檚 now just 4 pages!

But, actually, when you boil the Corporate Covenant down to its essence바카라 사이트� you can explain it in just a couple of lines.

It바카라 사이트檚 about stopping personnel from suffering disadvantage.

And it바카라 사이트檚 about extending opportunity to the best and brightest in our society.

바카라 사이트�those who have received a unique training. 바카라 사이트�those possessed of unparalleled leadership skills. 바카라 사이트�those who are immensely employable in their own right.

And with 83% of ex-service personnel finding a job after the first 6 months바카라 사이트�many sooner than that바카라 사이트�it바카라 사이트檚 not hard to see why they are such an asset to any company.

I think of it like this. Imagine a Corporal바카라 사이트�serving on Op Herrick in Afghanistan바카라 사이트�someone who regularly leads a fighting patrol in a high IED threat environment.

Eventually바카라 사이트� after completing his service with the colours with honour바카라 사이트� he moves on. Now an ex-corporal he finds himself at the morning office team meeting 바카라 사이트�when a colleague rushes in 바카라 사이트�and says the 4 o바카라 사이트檆lock conference call has moved forward 바카라 사이트�can you cope with that?

And the answer is yes바카라 사이트�he probably can actually.

Vodafone announcement

On one wall in my office is a copy of the first Corporate Covenant ever signed바카라 사이트�with the names of the 5 major employer organisations who signed it, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors, the Confederation of British Industry and the Business Services Association.

They signed it way back in June 2013바카라 사이트�joining the first company to come on board바카라 사이트�National Express.

I remember when we signed that document바카라 사이트�sitting at the Duke of Wellington바카라 사이트檚 old desk in Horse Guards바카라 사이트�that someone said we might have started something big.

And it looks like they were right. It바카라 사이트檚 astonishing to think we바카라 사이트檙e now closing in on the magic 500 mark. With바카라 사이트�as of today 492바카라 사이트�employers on the list.

I바카라 사이트檓 delighted to announce that the ink is still drying on our latest signature.

One hour ago바카라 사이트� one of the largest companies in Britain바카라 사이트�a company with a market capitalisation of nearly 拢60 billion added their name to the roll call of honour.

바카라 사이트�Vodafone now joins other FTSE 100 stalwarts such as BAe Systems, Babcock, Barclays, and Tesco바카라 사이트�.as well as major utilities such as Anglia Water바카라 사이트�and famous names such as Liverpool FC.

Yet what바카라 사이트檚 remarkable바카라 사이트�as the composition of our audience today attests바카라 사이트�is the spread of covenant companies across the spectrum

We have the country바카라 사이트檚 largest employers joining hands with small and medium sized companies employing less than a hundred바카라 사이트�less than 50바카라 사이트�less than even 10 people all doing their bit.

Vodafone바카라 사이트�as part of its commitment today바카라 사이트�are launching a career portal to engage service leavers.

They are pledging to develop their relationship with the one group of people who can always get a signal, The Royal Signals, 94 Signal Squadron.

And they have committed to a 20% discount to defence personnel and up to 5 family members.

Technical announcements

But I want to take the opportunity today바카라 사이트�to make 3 other announcements 바카라 사이트�of a more technical nature.

Announcements that have come about because we바카라 사이트檙e continuing to work closely with our partners and employers.

Announcements which will ultimately increase opportunity to those currently out of work.

So today I am pleased to tell you that we바카라 사이트檝e joined forces with Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme바카라 사이트�to extend a scheme known as the Armed Forces Employability Pathways바카라 사이트� across the UK.

Under this scheme, job seekers who are eligible, suitable and interested in the armed forces바카라 사이트�whether regular or reserve바카라 사이트�will be identified바카라 사이트�and given a week바카라 사이트檚 course as a taster of military life.

바카라 사이트�followed by work experience with a civilian employer.

It will help arm those without work with the confidence and experience to get on, or further up, the jobs ladder and ideally to join the armed forces.

We know reserve service itself can help the unemployed find a way to break into the labour market.

So my second announcement is that from 1 April바카라 사이트�job seekers who sign up for the reserves바카라 사이트�will be able to train for up to a total of 43 days in their first year without having to sign off, enough to complete their initial training.

Thank you to IDS and DWP.

Thirdly바카라 사이트�and I hope you바카라 사이트檙e ready for this.

바카라 사이트�we are amending Statutory Instrument 859, the Reserve Forces (Call-Out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations.

Before you dash out and ring your broker바카라 사이트�let me explain what this means.

At present, we only pay additional costs of a replacement employee while the reservist employee is mobilised.

In future, employers will be able to claim costs of hand over and hand back periods before and after the mobilisation.

It also means that바카라 사이트�in future self-employed reservists바카라 사이트�may claim for certain business expenses바카라 사이트�such as storage or insurance costs바카라 사이트� if they have to put their business on hold when mobilised.

But this is about administrative as well as financial assistance. We바카라 사이트檙e also clearing the red tape so you can get your claim sorted quickly.

Success and momentum

Our strengthened relationship with employers is now making a real difference.

One measure of our success is the increase in reservist numbers.

Last quarter the numbers doubled over the equivalent period the year before and the next quarter should be further ahead

But what바카라 사이트檚 even more impressive to my mind is the way covenant companies across the country are now delivering on their promises. Not just supporting reserve service but working to tackle commercial disadvantage against service personnel and their families.

As part of their Corporate Covenant pledge, local HR company, Crispin Rhodes in Milton Keynes, is helping other organisations develop armed forces friendly HR policies.

Meanwhile, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays in Welwyn Hatfield have found that they can really recruit high quality holiday leaders from ex-servicemen and women. According to their MD: 바카라 사이트淭hese are people used to managing groups for extended periods of time and caring for their welfare too, ideal skills to bring to the role of a walking holiday leader바카라 사이트�

Examples of small companies doing this

Vodafone바카라 사이트檚 slogan is 바카라 사이트減ower to you바카라 사이트�. So G-d bless Vodafone and all the other companies who have signed.

More power to your elbows. Now our challenge is to maintain this momentum 바카라 사이트�to keep expanding the covenant as widely as possible.

We바카라 사이트檙e looking to you to become our advocates. Pushing the message down through your own organisations and out to others across the sector

바카라 사이트�that this isn바카라 사이트檛 just about doing the right thing for the country바카라 사이트�it바카라 사이트檚 about doing the right thing for your business too.

Conclusion

So ladies and gentleman. You바카라 사이트檙e doing a wonderful thing in supporting our armed forces through the covenant.

It바카라 사이트檚 genuinely heart warming to see so many keen to employ reservists and ex-service personnel.

Some of you will have already received well deserved recognition through bronze, silver or gold awards바카라 사이트�some may even have been thanked in person by the Prime Minister at Downing Street.

But바카라 사이트�as the Minister involved at the start of the Corporate Covenant바카라 사이트�let me say on behalf of service personal and their families바카라 사이트�two small but really heartfelt words.

바카라 사이트�Thank You.

In the last two years we바카라 사이트檝e come an awfully long way.

But we바카라 사이트檙e on a roll now.

So let바카라 사이트檚 accelerate.

Published 13 March 2015