We’re very excited to announce that this week Salesforce signed the Armed Forces Covenant as part of the company's ongoing commitment to Armed Forces and their families.
The AFC is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the UK Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. We're proud to recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business.
Through our established Vetforce Programme, we offer free Salesforce training and certification available to serving personnel, veterans and their spouses. We are also committed to strengthening our internal employee community group, where we will continue to educate employees on the typical values, standards, skills and capabilities of ex-Forces employee. We will also make all employees, customers and partners aware of the Armed Forces related volunteer opportunities available to them as well as the related learning and development content available.
As part of our commitment, we also provide 'career transition' support to Service Leaders through mentorship to Vetforce Programme participants and workshops and webinars for those in transition.
We'll also be supporting and enabling military charities through Salesforce.org, including, but not limited to, offering free or discounted Salesforce products and enablement sessions; offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible; and actively participating in Armed Forces Day (29th June).
A night of celebration
To mark the signing, we hosted a celebration at Salesforce Tower London last night, which included talks from Major General Ranald Munro, Chris Ciauri, EVP of Salesforce EMEA and George Griffin, former Army Officer and Salesforce's Vetforce Lead in EMEA.
“I am delighted that Salesforce has become a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. By signing the Covenant, Salesforce are continuing to ensure current and former members of the Armed Forces are treated fairly,” said The Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence People and Veterans.
“I want to personally recognise the work Salesforce does through its Vetforce Programme to provide free training and support for former and serving personnel to help them and their spouses transition into work. We deeply value those who serve our country with great pride and dedication and we, in the Ministry of Defence, are proud to be partnering with Salesforce to demonstrate the value that reservists, veterans and their families can bring to the world of work."
George Griffin added, “The signing of the Armed Forces Covenant highlights Salesforce's ongoing commitment to not only those in the Armed Forces, but their families too. As a former British Army Officer, it is fantastic to work for an organisation that supports so passionately those people serving in our Armed Forces as well as veterans and their spouses. Many veterans experience a huge culture shock when going back to work, which is what makes programmes like this so important - supporting those who have served in our Armed Forces, as well as veterans and their spouses, transition to private sector employment. We're excited to continue building on our momentum in this area with our Vetforce programme and look forward to welcoming new members in the months and years ahead.”
Vetforce stories of success
Madog Williams, who received his certifications through the Vetforce programme, shared, "I accidentally found the the Vetforce programme on LinkedIn and thought 'I've got nothing to lose , I'll give it a go.' I knew nothing about Salesforce, just the odd mention in job descriptions here and there. The programme has provided me with a guided self paced learning path, live and virtual training and the opportunity to take and pass worldwide recognised certifications. Being self paced it allowed me to study when my daughter was sleeping, which isn’t available on similar ex-forces programmes."
Shane Whittingham, who also attended the signing, shared his experience since joining the Salesforce community: “The Vetforce programme has provided me with a new lease of life that has enabled me to learn at my own pace through the virtual learning environment while sustaining employment, participate in the Vetforce Ohana group of likeminded individuals to support one another through their Salesforce journey and have the opportunity to take world-class certifications that will enhance my career prospects.”
We're proud to be an Armed Forces-friendly organisation and look forward to continuing our work to ensure individuals who serve, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
It is vital that we recognise those who have performed military duty and support them and their families as they look at the next stage of their lives.
About the Vetforce Programme
Vetforce is a Salesforce programme that prepares current service members, veterans, and military spouses for civilian careers in IT, consulting, or sales through career-specific learning journeys on the VetForce Community. Participation is completely free to these groups, who can work their way to globally recognised Salesforce Certifications, giving them access to an array of roles within the Salesforce ecosystem.
