Skills Development Scotland awarded MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award
The Award is given for outstanding Armed Forces communities’ support
Last month at an award ceremony at the Summerlee Museum of Rural Life, SDS received a prestigious award from the Ministry of Defence - the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award (previously the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS)).
The ERS Silver Award is the second-highest accolade for employers who actively support reservists, service leavers, veterans, and their families.
Building on SDS’s previous DERS Bronze Award achieved in January 2023, these accreditations celebrate employers who consistently demonstrate exceptional support for the Armed Forces community - including reservists, veterans, cadets, and military families. These organisations go above and beyond their Armed Forces Covenant pledges by embedding supportive HR policies, championing defence values, and actively advocating for service personnel within the civilian workforce.
SDS fully supports colleagues who are members of this community. This is done in a number of ways:
- Special leave for reservists/cadet instructors
- Fair work, flexible and family friendly policies
- Internal networks that are Armed Forces Community-focused
- Armed Forces Champions across SDS
- Duty of due regard under our Armed Forces Covenant duties – connecting through wider Armed Forces Champions Networks (e.g. Veterans Scotland, HE/FE network, and DWP).
Major General Jamie Gordon, Chief Executive of the Council of Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations, said:
“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 they do for our reservists, veterans and cadets.”
SDS’s National CIAG Policy and Professional Practice Lead, Sandra Oribine (Cheyne), was presented with the award by Air Commodore Mark Northover, Air Officer Scotland, on behalf of the Defence Secretary. Sandra said:
“It was a privilege to accept this award on behalf of SDS as equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to everything SDS does, and are key to the success of our customers. A major focus in how we do this is understanding the lived experience of those we serve in our work.
“Recognising and understanding the Armed Forces community and supporting them through our service delivery with partners has been central to us being recognised so highly by the MOD.”
SDS is an active member of both the Veterans Scotland Employability Group, and the Armed Forces Cross-Party Group. The ERS encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant. Now that SDS has achieved the Silver Award status, the ambition would be to take the steps to gain our Gold Award accreditation.
SDS’s support for the Armed Forces community includes a dedicated landing page on My World of Work, which includes a military to civilian qualification comparison tool.
For further information on SDS’s work with this community, please get in touch with SDS CIAG National Executive (Veterans and Armed Forces Community), Alistair Ferrier, at alistair.ferrier@sds.co.uk