Halfords Group signed the Government’s Armed Forces Covenant on 6th February 2019 as it launched a range of measures to support service leavers and veterans, helping them access training and careers in Halfords retail shops and Autocentres.
The initiative was launched jointly with the Ministry of Defence and will result in greater support for those leaving the armed forces, as well as Reservists, to help recruit colleagues into one of the 200 current full and part time career opportunities at Halfords Group, across shops, Autocentres and support centres.
As part of the Covenant, Halfords Retail and Halfords Autocentres will offer guaranteed interviews to service leavers for all roles (pending that candidates meet the minimum requirements for the role) to help the transition to civilian life. They will also support service leavers by recruiting Halfords roles through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP). In addition they will offer guaranteed placement into the interview process, offer 10 days additional unpaid leave for reservists and a range of offers for those serving in the armed forces.
Adam Smith, centre manager at Halfords Autocentre Peterborough, joined the forces aged 16, rising to become a Scimitar tank commander. He left the army in 2013 and his level 2 mechanic training gained in the army helped him secure his role with Halfords. “I’ve got a really good team here at Halfords and we all look out for each other as we did in the army. When I was with the regiment I had to take responsibility for my colleagues who all depended on each other to succeed and it is the same here.
“In the army you have to have the mindset of being able to solve problems as part of a team which is really useful in this role. I think its great Halfords is stepping up to support the forces and I think more companies should do it.”
Graham Stapleton CEO for Halfords Group said; “We are really proud to sign the Armed Forces Covenant to help people leaving the services find new careers and gain training with Halfords Retail and Autocentres. This initiative is completely win-win, allowing our business to access a pool of potential colleagues with fantastic transferable skills, and helping service leavers build new careers with Halfords.”
Major General William O’Leary Deputy Commander Field Army, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence said; “Having Halfords Group sign our Armed Forces Covenant is a fantastic boost to the scheme and shows that there are excellent career opportunities for service leavers and reservists.”
Halfords employs over 10,000 colleagues across 400 Halfords stores and at more than 300 Halfords Autocentres. There are currently more than 200 full and part time career opportunities across Halfords Group, for more information visit www.halfordscareers.com.
To find out more about the Armed Forces Covenant or how your business can partner with Defence, click here.