By demonstrating commitment above and beyond to the Armed Forces community, Pro Steel Engineering has received the Gold Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award.
Achieving the highest award possible comes just two years after Pro Steel Engineering was one of only 13 businesses in Wales to receive the Silver Award.
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver, and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Gold Award is the highest-level businesses can achieve, and to do so must demonstrate the following:
- Proactively demonstrate their forces-friendly credentials as part of their recruiting and selection process
- Actively ensure their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues.
- Be exemplar within their market sector, advocating support to defence people issues to partner organisations, suppliers, and customers with tangible positive results
One veteran working his way up the ladder of Pro Steel Engineering is Ryan Harris who joined in 2016 as a general operative. He has just recently been promoted to the role of Operations Manager for the factory, and now also manages the roll-out of the new in-house welding and fabrication NVQ programme for the company.
Richard Selby, director and co-founder, Pro Steel Engineering said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to be one of only 156 organisations throughout the UK to achieve the highest-level award. As an organisation, we have been committed to the welfare and opportunities for veterans, their families, and the wider communities for many many years, and by continuing our work with the RFCA for Wales, we have been able to continue enhancing policies and working practices to support the Armed Forces. From our experience, employing staff with military experience like Ryan’s has helped to strengthen our business and we hope this award helps to encourage veterans and reservists to continue to work with us in the future.”
