SMMT secures Silver Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

21st October 2022

SMMT services to armed forces community recognised with Ministry of Defence Silver Award

SMMT secures Silver Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for commitment to the armed forces community.
Scheme recognises organisations who offer exceptional support and provide job opportunities to ex-armed forces personnel.
Follows SMMT’s Bronze Award recognition in 2021 and ongoing support of Mission Automotive, founded to help automotive companies unlock ex-forces talent.

Friday 21 September 2022

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has been honoured with a Silver Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Awards for services supporting employment of reservists and ex-armed forces personnel. The award was presented at a ceremony on 18 October at the RAC Club in London to celebrate the work taking place nationally to support the armed forces community.

The Silver Award follows SMMT’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant in February 2021 and Bronze Award recognition in the same year. It also reflects SMMT’s work with Mission Automotive, an initiative funded by the SMMT Charitable Trust and in partnership with The Royal Foundation with support from the Ministry of Defence, which is helping retrain ex-forces talent and placing service leavers into jobs across the sector.

Since 2021 SMMT has demonstrated its commitment to the Covenant by implementing policies to allow reservists to serve while working at SMMT, engaging with member companies to help create tailored engagement recruitment programmes, and utilising corporate and HR areas to support member business strategies.

SMMT member companies already work with the armed forces community, employing veterans, service leavers and their spouses across all parts of the automotive supply chain, from cars to commercial vehicles, across design, manufacturing, repair and through to retail and logistics. Many also offer bespoke training schemes for wounded, injured and sick personnel and reservists leading to help them achieve full-time employment in the sector.

Additionally, SMMT has announced Mission Automotive as the charity partner at its 105th Annual Dinner, to be held in London on Tuesday 29 November. The charity has enabled more than 200 wounded, injured and sick service leavers to enter employment since 2014.

Kerry Boniface, SMMT HR and CSR Manager, said,

We are proud to be recognised for our work with the armed forces community, supporting reservists and leavers to forge new careers in the automotive sector. Ex-military personnel are able to provide core and in-demand skills, which are crucial in helping our industry to be competitive at a time of great change as it shifts to new technologies. This award also recognises the hard work being done by SMMT members and we are incredibly thankful to have their support.