January 15, 2016
Invictus Games
British automaker Jaguar Land Rover’s work with the armed forces has not gone unnoticed, as the brand received the gold award from Defense Secretary Michael Fallon on Jan. 14.
Jaguar Land Rover’s recognition was in honor of its continued upholding of commitments it made when it signed the Armed Forces Covenant, whether through employment opportunities for veterans or giving reservists time off to train. While Jaguar Land Rover may have begun its efforts around Britain’s military to fulfill a sense of duty to its country, its work has given the brand recognition at a national level.
Veteran affairs
Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth, who accepted the award for the company at 10 Downing St., said in a statement, “We at Jaguar Land Rover are immensely proud to have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and to be recognized through this award.
“Service leavers are an excellent talent pool for Jaguar Land Rover and our supply chain, with skills that are transferable to an advanced manufacturing environment,” he said. “We believe that there is a close alignment between our company’s own values and attitudes and the unstoppable persistence of Armed Forces veterans.”
Jaguar Land Rover works with Mission Motorsport and Ministry of Defense's Career Transition Partnership (Assist) to help injured or sick veterans find secondary careers. It runs a training program to combat high unemployment in retired troops, which includes work experience and interview skills preparedness.
Beyond its own company, Jaguar Land Rover encourages its suppliers to hire veterans, even going so far as to suggest candidates.
The company also supports charities such as Help For Heroes, Rally for Heroes and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. In October, the brand sponsored an awareness-building event called “Walking With the Wounded Walk of Britain,” in which participants journeyed 1,000 miles.
JLR at Walking With the Wounded Walk of Britain
British automaker Jaguar Land Rover is sponsoring the first Invictus Games Sept. 10-14 that gives sick or wounded service members the opportunity to compete in a number of sports.
Three hundred veterans from 13 nations will compete in eight events ranging from archery to swimming. Elevating these competitors to an international stage will likely help to spread awareness about the many challenges facing veterans when returning from active duty (see story).
Jaguar Land Rover has also pledged its support of the second Invictus Games, being held in Florida from May 8 to 12. This year’s event, also presented by the automaker, will draw more than 500 competitors from 15 countries.
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