The capital’s transport agency is one of five London-based employers to receive a Gold award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme which honours organisations which have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and demonstrated “outstanding support” for current and former service personnel.
The other London recipients are the Metropolitan Police Service, Combat Pest Control, X-Forces and FDM Group.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “These companies have shown the gold standard of commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.
“They have taken meaningful steps to ensure the Defence community are not disadvantaged by the sacrifice they make in helping keep this country safe.
“The actions of these employers make it crystal clear that regardless of size, location, or sector, employing people with military skills is good for business.”
Welcoming TfL’s success, transport commissioner Mike Brown said: “We are delighted to be recognised with this prestigious award for the work we have undertaken supporting ex-service personnel make the transition into civilian employment.
“The technical expertise and skills that they have developed during their military service, such as problem-solving and working under pressure, are ideal for a number of roles within the transport industry and we are proud to count them amongst our employees.”
Speaking about his own experiences of moving from the Royal Navy to TfL, Richard Perkins, Assistant Project Manager for the modernisation of the Circle, District, Hammersmith & Metropolitan lines at London Underground, said: “I used to work in the Armed Forces as a Royal Navy Submariner, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do next.
“I attended one of TfL’s industry fairs, which was specifically for people like me trying to transition into civilian employment.
“It made me realise that I wanted to work in the transport industry and that the skills I had developed in the navy, like resilience and time management, were exactly what they were looking for when recruiting.
“I now work as an assistant project manager, ensuring that new signal equipment rooms are built on time and budget.
“It was a learning curve when I started, but I love my job and the responsibility that comes with it.”
