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Armed Forces Covenant

IWFM signs Armed Forces Covenant to help former servicepeople find careers in FM
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The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) has signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, the nation’s promise to active personnel, veterans and their families that they will be treated fairly.

For IWFM, it represents an opportunity to welcome current and former servicepeople into workplace and facilities management, advocate for their interests in the sector and offer the chance to upskill and reskill.

In addition to upholding the Covenant’s principles, IWFM commits to ‘‘upholding the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community” and to “recognise the contribution that Service personnel, both regular and reservist, veterans and military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country.”

Earlier this year, IWFM established the Veterans in FM network, which helps inform its approach to veterans and making FM a career of choice for current and former servicepeople. The network’s new committee is working on initiatives to engage with the veterans community, including outreach events, plus schemes yet to be revealed.

Welcoming the announcement, Chair of the Veterans in FM Network, Louisa Clarke, stated: “At IWFM, we recognise the massive contribution that active servicepeople and veterans have made to our country. We feel it’s vital to support the community, their families and always stand up for their interests. As a reflection of that, we are proud to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and launch initiatives to truly live up to this commitment.

“We view active servicepeople and veterans as a rich pool of talent for workplace and facilities management; selfless, dedicated and detail-orientated are just some of the qualities we see on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, we’re keen to promote the profession as a career of choice for active and former servicepeople as they transition to civilian life.

“With a range of job roles available, many opportunities to upskill and reskill and the ability to draw on prior professional experience, we hope to benefit current and former servicepeople while enhancing the sector.”

CEO Linda Hausmanis said: “Today marks a special occasion for IWFM. After the nation paid tribute to the veterans community on Remembrance Day, we’re proud to demonstrate our commitment to current and active servicepeople, and their families, for the time to come. Having recently established the Veterans in FM network, we’re continually looking for new ways to empower the veterans community, primarily by creating career paths in workplace and facilities management. We want to ensure the sector is welcoming, supportive and makes best use of veterans’ talents and work ethic. Concurrently, we can show veterans the rich opportunities that are available in the sector and offer them the resources they need to prosper.”

If you would like to connect with other armed forces veterans in the workplace and facilities management profession and keep updated on our Network’s progress, please register your interest here.

ABM UK signs Armed Forces Covenant
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ABM UK  has pledged its support of the armed services community by becoming a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The company’s signature of the Covenant was witnessed at an event hosted by the Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Air Vice-Marshall Ranald Munro, on 28th January 2020 at the Tower of London. The Covenant was signed by ABM UK’s directors on behalf of their respective divisions.

There are more than two million former members of the armed services in the UK, which equates to approximately five percent of adult households. The Covenant recognises that the nation has a moral obligation to members of the armed forces, and their families, and establishes how they should expect to be treated.

By signing the document ABM UK has pledged to:

  • Uphold the principles that no member of the Armed Forces community and Reserves should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen
  • And in some circumstances where required apply special treatment especially for the injured of bereaved

As part of their commitment, ABM UK will be advertising all job vacancies on the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) website, the official provider of Armed Forces resettlement.

Speaking on the commitment Chris Townsend, Senior HR director for ABM UK, Europe and the Middle East, said: “The armed forces community and their families are not only an important part of our national and local communities, whom we should be treating with fairness and respect, but also a great asset to our national workforce.

“By signing the Armed Forces Covenant we are not only looking to acknowledge what they and their families have done in service to this country but also to proactively support these individuals who have key transferable skills, experience, and knowledge into roles at ABM UK where they can be of huge value to our business and customers.”

The Covenant was co-signed on behalf of Defence by Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Air Vice-Marshall Ranald Munro, who added: “We are delighted that ABM UK has pledged their commitment to supporting the Armed Forces and their families. The support of companies like ABM makes a significant positive difference to the daily lives of those who have served and those that continue to serve as Reserves.”

To date, nearly 4,000 companies have signed up to the Covenant.