Armed Forces Covenant

Yorwaste has pledged its support to the military community by being one of the first waste management companies in the UK to sign up to a new national Armed Forces Covenant.

The Armed Forces Covenant report was published in December 2019 and set out in the Queen’s Speech just before Christmas.

Being incorporated into law over the course of the new Parliament, the aim is to ensure that anyone who serves, or has served, in the Armed Forces, including their families, are treated fairly when it comes to seeking employment elsewhere.

By signing the covenant, Yorwaste is demonstrating that it is committed to being a forces-friendly organisation. This includes:

  • Seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old working with the Career Transition Partnership in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for service leavers.
  • Striving to support the employment of service spouses and partners.
  • Seeking to support employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces.
  • Offering support to local cadet units
  • Aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day.

Kevin Smith joined Yorwaste in 2013 having previously spent his entire career (18 years) in the Army. He started as the Procurement Manager and is now Head of Corporate Services, with a position on the company’s Executive Team.

He said: “I am among several ex-servicemen and women now working at Yorwaste so even before signing the covenant, the company was already providing good career opportunities for people coming out of the military”.

“The transition from military to civilian employment can be difficult but speaking from personal experience, Yorwaste made it easy for me to settle into a whole new role and helped me progress further within the company”.

“By signing the covenant, we are now publicly demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that those in the armed forces, and their families, are well-supported, both during and after their service.”

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