WS Atkins : Atkins recognised for its industry leadership and advocacy with Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award - 20 November 2015

Atkins recognised for its industry leadership and advocacy with Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award - 20 November 2015

Design, engineering and project management consultancy Atkins has today been recognised for its commitment to the Armed Forces community with a coveted Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awards were launched last year by the Prime Minister and include Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers. The Gold award is a badge of honour for outstanding employers and is reserved for those who become advocates for support and commitment to Defence personnel.

Atkins received the accolade for a number of reasons including the policies and support it has in place for its Reservist employees as well as its active promotion - internally and externally - of partnerships with the Armed Forces community. The positive and beneficial relationships that Atkins has developed extend across its sponsorship of Armed Forces charitable organisations, its close working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Defence organisations, and its commitment to the national skills and Reserves agenda.

Nick Roberts, Atkins' UK and Europe CEO, said:

'As an engineering consultancy, our people are our greatest asset and Atkins has long recognised the leadership, project management and technical skills that our Reservist and ex-military personnel bring which benefit both the company and our clients.

'Recipients of the Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award are considered industry leaders and beacons of excellence for their employer support programmes. As a former British Army Reservist officer, I could not be more proud that we have been recognised by the MOD with this prestigious accolade.'

Chris Jones, Atkins' Armed Forces Champion and an RAF Reservist, said:

'It's been a year since we signed the Corporate Covenant and were awarded one of the first Silver Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awards. Over the last twelve months we have worked hard to cultivate and engage with our community of thirty or so Reservist staff and explore and develop partnerships across MOD, the Armed Forces and Defence.

'In June 2015, our UK Senior Leadership Team approved the creation of a dedicated programme of work to better coordinate our company-wide engagement and advocacy activities. This will be formally launched in December and our Gold award win provides an invaluable platform for that programme to build upon.'

If you would like to learn more about Atkins' advocacy and support of the Armed Forces community, please visit: http://www.atkinsglobal.com/en-GB/media-centre/features/partnering-with-the-armed-force