Ministry of Defence
After opening the days trading in Central London, Mr Ellwood co-signed the agreement which sees the London Stock Exchange Group join a number of FSTE 100 companies who are already signatories to the Covenant, including BAE Systems, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone.
By signing, the London Stock Exchange Group commits to upholding the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to support reservists and create career pathways through the MODs Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
As part of the agreement, the London Stock Exchange Group will promote that they are an armed forces-friendly organisation, advocating the armed forces to their business networks and ecouraging support for the military community.
Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said:
This signing is a significant step for the London Stock Exchange Group, which is set to be a strong advocate for the benefits of employing our talented Defence people in businesses across the UK.
These pledges will seek to open the door to new career pathways for veterans and provide flexibility for reservists - ensuring the Armed Forces community is not disadvantaged by their service and sacrifice for our country.
To celebrate the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant, the London Stock Exchange Group hosted a special market opening ceremony in London this morning. The event was attended by existing and prospective signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant at a networking breakfast for small and medium enterprises.
London Stock Exchange Groups pledges include:
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Being an armed forces-friendly organisation which values the skills that military training and experience can bring to their diverse talent base.
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Seeking to support the employment of veterans, of all ages, by linking the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to their careers website.
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Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partners deployment, subject to operational requirements.
To date the Covenant has been signed by more than 1,800 organisations, including businesses and charities, all of which have set out their support for members of the armed forces community employed by them or accessing their products and services.