Celebrating Exceptional Support
2025 Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award Winners Announced
Over 300 UK organisations have been formally recognised for their outstanding commitment to the Armed Forces community as part of the Ministry of Defence’s prestigious Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Awards for 2025.
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) is a national initiative that acknowledges employers who actively support the Armed Forces and champion their role within civilian workplaces. The Silver Award is a significant milestone within the ERS and recipients must go above and beyond by actively integrating defence-friendly policies into their operations. Currently, 1,458 organisations across the UK hold the Silver ERS award.
Holding a Silver ERS status not only helps ensure Reservists receive the support and time off needed for their training and mobilisation, therefore directly contributing to the UK’s operational capability – it also gives employers access to a uniquely skilled, disciplined and adaptable talent pool. Veterans and Reservists bring transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving – all of which directly benefit business performance.
“We aim to recruit members of the Armed Forces community as it helps us recognise their unique skills, experience and values that they can bring into the healthcare environment. Overall, recruiting veterans and Reservists enables us to tap into a pool of highly skilled, disciplined and experienced individuals who make a positive impact on our organisations’ operations.”
– Alison Taberner-Stokes, Great Ormond Street Hospital (Silver ERS holder)
2025 Silver Award Winners Announced
This year, 307 organisations across the UK have earned the ERS Silver Award — a testament to the growing culture of support for the Armed Forces community in the workplace. These employers demonstrate practical and sustained commitments that benefit Reservists, veterans, military families, and cadets alike.
Award-winning organisations typically:
• Provide paid leave for Reservist training and mobilisation
• Actively recruit and retain veterans
• Offer flexibility and support for military families
• Champion the Armed Forces Covenant at the highest levels of leadership
Awardees will be formally recognised at award ceremonies taking place regionally across the country.
Major General Jamie Gordon, Chief Executive of the Council of Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations, praised this year’s recipients, stating:
“These Silver Award winners are trusted allies of Defence. They don’t just talk about support — they show it, every day, through flexible policies, visible advocacy, and long-term commitment to those who serve. This is about more than good intentions; it’s about practical, sustained support that strengthens our national resilience. It is very pleasing that they have been recognised for all that they do for our Reservists, Veterans and Cadets.”
The 2025 announcement aligns with the Ministry of Defence’s broader strategy to deepen collaboration between Defence, industry, and wider society — helping create a modern and adaptable Armed Forces integrated with the communities it serves.