Gold Award for Oxfordshire County Council – Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme
Oxfordshire County Council has received a prestigious national award from the Armed Forces in recognition of its gold standard employment and support of the armed forces community.
Gold in the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme is presented nationally to the organisation that best demonstrates forces-friendly credentials as part of its recruitment, selection and support of those in the armed forces.
Oxfordshire County Council acknowledges the many valuable skills and work ethic that reservists, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, service leavers, veterans and service families bring to local services, for the benefit of residents. The Council has developed an Armed Forces Employment Offer to make it an attractive place to work for all those in the service community.
Oxfordshire hosts a number of armed forces bases, including Abingdon Station (Dalton Barracks), RAF Benson, Bicester Garrison, RAF Brize Norton, Vauxhall Barracks, Shrivenham Defence Academy and the Oxford University Officer Training Corps. Around 10,000 armed forces personnel are stationed in Oxfordshire, including more than 20% of the RAF.
There are also military reserve units and personnel based across the county.
County Councillor Simon Clarke, said:
“It is truly an honour to be recognised for the support we give to our armed forces community, when they give so much to us. Our talented military personnel and their families make sacrifices every day to serve this country and today’s announcement makes clear our passion and commitment to do all we can to value those that serve.
“The County Council’s support is flexible and diverse. It includes supporting reserves with paid leave for training and with support for mobilisation. We also offer a guaranteed interview scheme for service leavers. And flexible working arrangements are available for many of our roles, which can benefit those in the armed forces community.
“I very much hope that publicity surrounding this award will encourage Oxfordshire businesses to explore how they can provide similar support to the talented, brave and dedicated residents who represent our Armed Forces.”