City of Wolverhampton Council has been honoured with an Employer Engagement Recognition Silver Award at the Armed Forces awards. The Military paid tribute to businesses and organisations from across the West Midlands at a special awards dinner held at the Cold War Museum in Cosford. More than 100 representatives from both the Armed Forces and leaders from the business community attended the dinner as the military rewarded West Midlands employers for their support and commitment to Defence across the region.

City of Wolverhampton Council Skills and Employability officer, Angela Hoyle, and Consultation & Community Involvement Officer, Sam Axtell, received the award on behalf of the council. The Employer Engagement Recognition Silver Award winners were presented with their awards following the dinner by Major General Richard Stanford MBE, General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Army’s Regional Command and by Brigadier Robin Anderton-Brown, Commander of Donnington based 11th Signal and West Midlands Brigade.

Lt Col Richard Jones TD RIFLES said: “A key provider and promoter of services, employment and facilities to the local community, City of Wolverhampton Council, is an important part of the West Midlands area.  “This local council is a stakeholder of local facilities and provisions as well as being a staff employer, of such amenities as social rejuvenation of accommodation and public services. 

“It is a provider of key social and pastoral amenities to the area, as well as being a local government authority, many decisions are made that can have an immediate and positive effect upon many people within the local authority catchment area. 

“Samantha Axtell and Angela Hoyle with their team at City of Wolverhampton Council have provided excellent support to the military within their area in the West Midlands.  “They support the Covenant Scheme and have an excellent HR policy toward Reservists which rewards those employees with an extra 10 days paid leave each year toward their Reserve commitment.  “The Council supports the Armed Forces Employment Pathway (AFEP) process and offers interviews and potential job placements to job seekers from the AFEP. 

“Samantha has also encouraged staff members onto Exercise Reserve Challenge, this is the leadership program led by Brigade for students and young leaders in industry."