Supporting our Armed Forces – OUTCO signs The Armed Forces Covenant

OUTCO, the outdoor compliance experts, has pledged its support for the armed forces and veterans by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. The AFC is a pledge from OUTCO to honour the Armed Forces and support the Armed Forces Community. By signing the pledge, OUTCO is recognising the value that serving personnel, both regular, reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

“OUTCO is delighted to pledge our support for the Armed Forces, veterans and reserves in signing the Armed Forces Covenant,” said Andrew Barry, CEO, OUTCO. “This pledge reaffirms our commitments to this partnership from now and into the future with advanced plans to grow our network of veterans and serving reservists who will provide expertise and capability to our business. We are therefore absolutely committed to offering a working environment that has the best possible support to this talented community.” Forces and support the Armed Forces Community. By signing the pledge, OUTCO is recognising the value that serving personnel, both regular, reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, OUTCO commits to uphold its key principles in its business dealings, namely:

• No member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
• In some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.

Andrew Barry explains why these principles are so fundamental to OUTCO:

“This pledge reaffirms our commitments to this partnership – now and into the future. Through these specific initiatives we plan to grow our Armed Forces community. As well as being the right thing to do for our country, we greatly appreciate the immense expertise and capability these talented individuals bring to our business. We are therefore absolutely committed to offering a working environment that gives them the best possible support.”

OUTCO have pledged to implement specific commitments to offer support for military personnel, their families and proactively foster pathways to new careers following military service. To support the employment of veterans, OUTCO will recognise military skills and qualifications in its recruitment and selection process, work with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to support the employment of service leavers, and work with organisations such as White Ensign to facilitate job placements.

Building sustainable career paths goes beyond recruitment, and OUTCO will establish a Forces Network and mentoring scheme to help new employees build connections and successfully navigate the challenges of their new lives. Conversely, given the wealth of advantages that military life brings to the workplace, all employees will be actively encouraged should they wish to serve within the Reserve Forces. The company will also proactively foster employment opportunities for service spouses and partners, including providing flexibility in granting leave before during and after their partners’ deployments.

OUTCO is also proud to promote that it is an Armed Forces-Friendly organisation and will continue to support relevant charities and events.

Commander Steve Tatham Ph.D., M.Phil., Royal Navy Commanding Officer HMS King Alfred, said:

“The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise to support those who have served and their families. We’re delighted that OUTCO, a trusted partner of the community, has signed a commitment the Covenant, a pledge that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives. Through deep military roots, it’s clear that OUTCO understands and recognises the value of partnering with the armed forces community and their personnel, having the right culture, development plans and strategy in place to support their workforce from any background.”

This article can also be seen in the FMJ, FM industry and FM Business Daily publications.