Power distribution specialist, ide Systems, has been awarded the silver award in the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) defence employer recognition scheme. The company will formally receive the award at a military awards ceremony, taking place at the National Memorial Arboretum, Lichfield, this coming Friday (October 27).
The award recognises ide Systems’ on-going commitment to support the armed forces and service personnel. The company, which runs an internal back-to-work programme to help ex-forces personnel get into electrical engineering, has signed the armed forces covenant and regularly holds demo days for service staff and local learners.
ide Systems recently held an exercise industry-challenge demo day at its Cannock site. The event, which featured candidates from the West Midlands 11th Signals Brigade and instructors from Donnington Barracks, involved a demonstration of ide Systems’ electrical equipment and a barbeque for the group.
The group received a presentation on the hazards of electricity and a general overview of ide Systems, before having a full demonstration of the company’s equipment. The demonstration allowed candidates to install a temporary electrical installation and energise it.
“Employment remains a key concern for ex-forces personnel upon leaving active duty,” explained Matt Collins, business development manager at ide Systems. “Recent figures from the UK MoD estimate that service leavers have an 80 per cent employment rate. This may sound promising, but an equal percentage leave these jobs within two years, with the most common reasons being lack of meaning and limited career progression.
“At ide Systems, we pride ourselves on our work with the forces and our own internal scheme to help personnel become competent electrical engineers. It’s often reported that there is a widening skills gap in the electrical engineering industry, so the sector offers a valuable opportunity for service leavers.
“It is ide Systems’ commitment to the forces, as well as the ambition to bridge the UK skills gap, that has earned the acknowledgement of the employer recognition scheme’s silver award. Yet there is more that can be done to ensure ex-forces personnel can continue to add value to the country in civilian jobs, so it is important that more businesses sign the armed forces covenant and honour that commitment.”
The MoD’s employer recognition scheme is designed to acknowledge the work done by UK businesses to support forces personnel back into work. Silver award holders are commended for their employment of service leavers and active support for service personnel commitments and issues.
