Econ Engineering has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, marking an ongoing commitment to support the Armed Forces community.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
It focuses on helping members of the Armed Forces community have the same access to Government and commercial services and products as any other citizen, such as employment, housing and healthcare.
Ripon-headquartered Econ has now signed the Covenant as part of Armed Services Week (June 22 to 28) and Armed Reserves Day (June 25).
Managing Director Jonathan Lupton said joining the Covenant was a natural step for the business as it had long supported the Armed Forces, with past and present members of staff having served in various roles and at different times.
Jonathan said, “Signing the Armed Forces Covenant officially acknowledges what we have always believed – that we recognise the value serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
“We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant in a number of ways, including promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation; offering guaranteed interviews to veterans, young and old, if they meet a job adverts selection criteria; seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment; and by inviting cadets into our business to see what careers are available within industry.”
“This is a proud moment for Econ Engineering and our staff, including current serving Armed Forces personnel, and we look forward to continuing to support the community for many years to come.”
James Duncanson (picture above) is a long-standing Econ employee who is also currently an Army Reserve. Having joined the business aged 18, the vehicle fitter and HGV licenced driver has been instrumental in supporting Econ in signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
The 33-year-old said: “Econ has always supported me through my mobilisation with the Army, as well as my active career with the reserves. For example, the business was a fantastic enabler and completely supportive when I was deployed to the Falkland Islands five years ago, a period of service that also saw me meet my future wife.
“Signing the Armed Forces Covenant is a further promise from Econ that it will continue to support my Armed Forces journey, including through training and future deployment. This includes offering two weeks additional paid leave which I am extremely grateful for and which very few other companies offer.
“Myself and other Armed Forces colleagues are grateful to Econ for all it does to support us, our families and the veteran community across the many locations it operates in. I am excited about the additional opportunities becoming a member of the Armed Forces Covenant will bring.”
The Armed Forces Covenant has two guiding principles that Econ will follow:
- Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether regular or reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
- Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
