Sheffield Hallam University is committed to supporting members of the Armed Forces in our communities. The University is proud to hold silver award Employer Recognition Scheme status.



The Employer Recognition Scheme recognises organisations who pledge, demonstrate and advocate their support for the Defence community.

The Armed Forces Covenant

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise made by the nation to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. The covenant focuses on helping members of the armed forces community have the same access to government and commercial services as any other citizen.

Sheffield Hallam University proudly signed the Covenant in 2017 and renewed its commitment to the Covenant, alongside the University of Sheffield, in 2022. 

Sheffield Universities' Military Education Committee (MEC)

The Sheffield Universities’ Military Education Committee (MEC) aims to provide and develop formal and informal links between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and the University Service Units in which students of the two Universities are eligible to serve.

The Sheffield MEC supports students in the University Service Units to acquire military and leadership skills, which contribute to their personal development and employability and aims to ensure that students’ participation in military activities does not have a negative impact on their wellbeing or academic studies.

The committee reports to The University of Sheffield Senate and the Academic Board of Sheffield Hallam University. 

The Chair and Vice-Chair also represent the Sheffield MEC to the Council of Military Education Committees (COMEC), who represent the views of regional MECs to the Ministry of Defence and serve as a point of contact between these organisations.

Support for staff and students

Our Reserve Forces Training and Mobilisation Policy supports staff with military service commitments. Armed Forces Champions promote inclusivity and support university advisory teams to listen, understand and respond to the needs of service leavers, veterans and their families during their studies or employment with us.

Our recruitment processes recognise the value that a military past/background can bring to the university community. As an organisation, we support annual events with military significance, such as Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day.

Students with connections to the Armed Forces can access specialist support throughout their application and student journey via the SHU Progress Scheme. We are also an approved learning provider on the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELCAS) which enables service personnel and service leavers to access financial support during higher education study.

Support for staff can be found on the Intranet. Find out more about the support available to students.