Quest March 2015

Education, retraining and job opportunities for EVERYBODY in the Armed Forces

The resettlement magazine

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IN THIS ISSUE ADMINISTRATION COMPUTING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ROAD TRANSPORT SPORT AND FITNESS SURVEILLANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The only monthly resettlement magazine distributed to all MoD Units by BFPO under contract

March 2015 ISSUE 193

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Contents

Quest A WARM WELCOME (weather permitting) to the March issue of QUEST! As always, we have a wide range of different career sectors for your consideration, this month spotlighting administration, computing and IT – and the closely associated field of telecoms – surveillance, sport and fitness, as well as an in-depth look at driver and transport manager qualifications, licensing and training. In addition, whatever the career field you are aiming for, we have the lowdown on how to get the most out of your last few months ‘inside’ in our ‘Maximise your resettlement training’ feature. And, beyond the workplace, regular contributor Ralph Straw is once again concerned with family matters (page 18) – incredibly important, but often overlooked in the busy run-up to leaving the Forces; this time his focus is on the necessity of keeping your children in the resettlement loop to minimise any adverse impact on their lives as well as your own. But, first, get yourself informed too: turn the page and read on!

MARCH 2015 ISSUE 193

6PAGE 34

6PAGE 20

COMPUTING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ADMINISTRATION

6PAGE 22

6PAGE 38

SPORT AND FITNESS

SURVEILLANCE

6PAGE 28

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

REGULARS

Lynn Brown Editor

In-depth articles on all the career areas covered by Quest throughout the year are always available on our website: visit www.questonline.co.uk and click on ‘Careers A–Z’ for the full list.

04 Resettlement round-up News, training course info and first-hand reports to support your transition 52 Factfile – your guide to a better future Complicated rules and regulations, compressed and explained 64 Career Transition Partnership courses and events 66 Job opportunities

FEATURES 18 Family matters: Won’t someone please think of the children?

48 Maximise your resettlement training

6PAGE 42 HIT THE ROAD!

Quest is the number one magazine for education, retraining and job opportunities for all people in the Armed Forces, MoD civil servants and their families throughout the world.

We are dedicated to achieving and maintaining excellence in these fields, and are determined to bring to you, our readers, the latest and the best information in these areas. You can help us by reading this magazine yourself, passing it to anyone you know who might want to use it, and by sending us your feedback about how we could serve you better.

March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

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Resettlement round-up

RESETTLEMENT ROUND-UP

News, training course info and first-hand reports to support your transition Secure your future with ARG ssociated Risks Group (ARG) is an independent security consultancy group that has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors ranging from intelligence, close protection, security and risk management to surveillance and firearms. Our experience stems from both currently working operationally and from more than 170 years combined experience in the industry. We go that extra mile in making sure that everyone gets the best service possible, whether as a student or a client.

Since its inception, the intelligence arm of ARG has grown massively, both in capability and success. The range of services offered is vast, from global intelligence reports and pre‐ employment screening to international surveillance operations and security integrity.

Thanks to our capability and experience this puts us in a fortunate position when it comes to our training arm. As well as offering courses in areas such as close protection, firearms, FPOS and driving, we also have a strong emphasis on surveillance training. Whether as one of the stand‐alone courses or as part of the CP course, all students are able to complete top‐level surveillance training with most of the time spent out on the ground. While the theory elements are needed, through experience we know that the best way to learn is to be out on the ground applying skills in a number of areas, from

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remote intelligence gathering and profiling to planning, foot surveillance and mobile surveillance.

As we are an operational company in all of the previously mentioned areas, we take the standards of our training very seriously to provide operatives who are professional and multi skilled. We proudly train many Service men and women from different areas of our Armed Forces through ELCAS as they leave on resettlement. Our ethos at ARG is quality, not quantity. For example, every prospective student is interviewed so we can each see what the other is about. This serves to make an informed decision about training with us.

We always have and always will offer an open‐door policy to all our students and operatives, who are welcome to come in to see us for a brew and have a chat, or to get further advice on their career. The way we see it is we have a vested interest in each and every person who trains with us and works with us.

Get in touch Tel: 01642 941510 email: training@arg.uk.com Website: www.arg.uk.com See the advertisement on page 11

Don’t just roll the dice, get comprehensive financial advice now!

t times of major life changes, such as retirement or a career change, one of the most common concerns is the financial implications. Oak Tree Management & Training believes any resettlement or retirement support service is incomplete, if not risky, without access to guidance in this area. Therefore in addition to helping you develop skills and qualification for your new career, we incorporate, as a complementary and important part of our discounted ELC and CTP approved NEBOSH Health & Safety and ILM Leadership &

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www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Management multiple course packages, access to financial advice, free of charge. This advice will also be offered via one‐to‐one consultations at the BFRS Careers Events throughout the UK in 2015. Contact us today to reserve your space.

Oak Tree works in conjunction with Affinity Financial Awareness, which is one of the largest providers of independent financial advice to public‐sector employees, including those in the MoD. Affinity specialises in advising those facing retirement and resettlement. It offers professional, qualified and locally based financial advice, nationally, through workshops and individual consultations, as well as providing recommendations and reports free of charge and without obligation.

Contact us to find out more about what our comprehensive training and support packages offer and how they can benefit your future.

Quest Quest and the Quest logo are registered trade marks of Bulldog Publishing Limited Unit B4, Beech House, Melbourn Science Park, Melbourn, Herts SG8 6HB Telephone: 01763 268120 Email: info@questonline.co.uk www.questonline.co.uk EDITOR Lynn Brown MANAGING DIRECTOR Bruce Hodge ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER David Lidbury Account Managers Simon Blaaser Tony Heathfield Kate Horner Brian Tolworthy DISTRIBUTION Martin Sells DESIGN AND PRODUCTION CB Creative Limited Tel: 01223 750566 www.cb2creative.com DIRECTORS Peter Threlfall (Chairman) Bruce Hodge (Managing) Roger Dalzell Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information at the time of going to press. The Publishers can take no responsibility for inaccuracies due to changes after that date, nor can they accept responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication. Whilst every care is taken with artwork or film supplies, the Publishers cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily of the Publishers. All advertisements are accepted only on the grounds that they comply with the terms of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and all other relevant legislation. Inclusion of an advertisement cannot be construed as an endorsement for the advertiser or the product by the Publishers, their employees or agents. The Publishers cannot accept responsibility for any transaction between readers and advertisers. © All rights reserved. Not to be resold, lent, hired-out or otherwise reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Publisher.

Quest and Bulldog Publishing Limited are registered under the Data Protection Act (1984) registration number PX4096798

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Get in touch Tel: 01284 763040 email: steve@oaktree‐training.co.uk Website: www.oaktree‐training.co.uk/mod See the advertisement on page 11

Join our group

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

PROJECT FIREFLY

SEAMLESS TRANSFER FROM REGULAR TO MARITIME RESERVES You could apply to transfer from Regular to Maritime Reserves by using PROJECT FIREFLY’s “Seamless Transfer Scheme” For more information call 0239 262 8677 or e-mail: navypers-restpa@mod.uk FURTHER DETAILS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN 2014DIN 01 – 130.

THE JOURNEY DOES NOT HAVE TO END!

The logistics sector needs you!

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www.tirtraining.co.uk March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

5

Resettlement round-up

I DID IT!

Channel your Services skills to consultancy

Name: Luke Stoneman Years served: 5 Current job: DHL driver

hannel Compliance is a small, from Edinburgh to health, safety and Plymouth and London to Belfast. environmental consultancy, Our base recently moved into a which provides businesses with new, purpose‐built training facility advice and guidance on all in Weston‐super‐Mare, and our compliance needs, alongside plan is to grow more locally within training and assessment. north Somerset and the south‐ Our Managing Director, west.

Scott Walker, was in the British Our NEBOSH trainers are all Army (REME) for six years, ex‐military, so you’ll be learning serving worldwide with Teeth from the best. Channel is CTP Arms Units. After leaving the approved. Together we can make military, he decided he didn’t your transition from Service leaver Managing Director, Scott Walker want a desk job, and wondered to civilian as easy as possible. how he could utilise his skills We provide a 15‐day thorough learned in the Army, such as organisation, problem NEBOSH package, which includes: Management of solving, leadership, team working, health and Health and Safety, Controlling Workplace Hazards, safety, and security awareness. ‘It’s about being Health and Safety Practical, Fire Safety and Risk aware of your surroundings,’ he says, ‘gauging the Management, and Fire Safety Practical. potential hazards and risks in your environment, so The future for Channel Compliance is to health and safety consultancy seemed to fit these establish a more local presence within the south‐ skills perfectly.’ west, and expand our business by recruiting more Scott went on to advance his health and safety trainers to increase our availability and services competence with several NEBOSH (National across the UK. We have open courses throughout Examining Board of Occupational Safety and the year to get leavers channelling in the right Health) qualifications, completed the level 6 direction.

Diploma in 2008, is currently completing an MSc in Occupational Health and Safety, and is now a Get in touch professional member of IOSH (Institute of Tel: 0117 325 1119 Occupational Safety and Health). email: sales@channelcompliance.co.uk Website: www.channelcompliance.co.uk Scott started his own business, Channel Compliance, in 2011; it is now well established across See the advertisement on page 13 the UK. Channel has a wide range of clients, big and

‘I left the Army in October 2014, having served for just over five years. I always knew I wanted to become a HGV driver as my dad has been doing it for years and I knew the potential amount of money you could earn. I also liked the idea of being out and about, and couldn’t imagine being stuck in an office.

‘Unfortunately, though, because I had served for less than six years, I was not granted any resettlement. However, from leaving the Army to now, I had it all planned out – with a lot of help from Pertemps. I left the Army, found somewhere to live and knew I needed to start work right away so I could be earning money. Pertemps got me a job with DHL and I started. I do four days on, two off.

‘A typical day at work normally starts at about 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning for a 12‐hour shift. It’s sometimes more than that, but I don’t mind working long hours for good money.

‘I feel my military background does help me with my current lifestyle. The discipline you learn from the Army makes it easier to motivate yourself and get on with the job, especially getting up at 4 in the morning to be at work for 5. I don’t think I would be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the Army – it has made me a better person, keeps me in a routine.

‘If other Service leavers are looking at getting in to the same industry I would recommend researching the job. Know what you need to do and be prepared for the type of work you will be doing, as it can mean long hours, but if you are unsure then speak to Pertemps as they helped me with everything I was uncertain about. They were a massive help in getting me the job I have now and helping me get to where I am today.

‘My experience with Pertemps has been great! If I had a problem, I asked and there was no question so silly they couldn’t answer it. I found that they know how hard it is for Service men and women to leave the Forces – in my opinion, it’s a scary jump from military to civilian life, but Pertemps understood that completely and were there to help. I can’t thank them enough for the help they have given me – everything has been easy.’

Get in touch Tel: 0800 0320728 Website: www.pertemps.co.uk

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See the advertisement on page 45

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

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Make security your Mission! hanging career is an unnerving step for any individual – especially for one who’s had the discipline of the UK Forces. The security industry is chosen by many as the sideways step from their current career within the MoD. Mission Training understands and appreciates that, although it is the choice of the individual, it can still be extremely daunting to leave the Forces. That’s why we provide resettlement training programmes to enable a smooth transition from regiment to civilian classroom. Our level 3 courses are delivered by ex‐ military and ex‐police officers, ensuring commitment throughout the training frameworks.

Counter‐terrorism has never been so topical: we are all living with the daily threat of global terror attacks. The modern security operative is now expected to have the ability to cope with such expectations.

Our 12‐day level 3 Close Protection course is an extremely popular resettlement course, providing urban protective skills, evasive driving and risk management. The course includes problem solving

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and planning strategies in preparation for protective deployments.

Additionally, our level 3 Dog Handler course offers an intense, nationally recognised qualification, including professional recognition in the sector. Security canines are in high demand and, armed with the appropriate qualifications, provide a challenging career for handlers using both detection and general‐purpose dogs.

Not only do we teach level 3 courses to alter career paths, we provide supportive courses to enhance the modern‐day security operative, including Crime Scene Preservation, Handcuffing, Weapons, Firearms and Evasive Defensive Driving Skills.

Mission Training is an established training provider delivering excellence in raising adult education and resettlement for the MoD. Your future career starts here!

Get in touch Tel: 01227 768822 email: sales@missiontraining.co.uk Website: www.missiontraining.co.uk

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

7 March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

Resettlement round-up

NETWORKING NEWS OA Connect partners with networking expert for series of regional workshops A Connect has enlisted networking expert Judith Perle to run a series of networking masterclasses across the country. The events, which will be held across Bristol, Tidworth and Catterick, are designed to tackle any fears or concerns surrounding networking, and to dispel any myths concerning what it is and isn’t.

Judith Perle, co‐author of The Network Effect, has more than 13 years’ experience teaching networking skills to businesses and the corporate world.

Her aim is to ensure delegates feel ready to harness the power of their connections and are more comfortable networking in the future. A former attendee of Judith’s workshop commented: ‘As well as some practical tips and a deeper understanding, the main thing I took from this workshop was a change of attitude to networking. Judith showed me that there could be a different, more generous and positive way to make connections, which will help me approach it with a new frame of mind.’

The events take place on 18 March in Bristol and 22 April at Catterick. For more information and to register, visit www.officersassociation.org.uk/events

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8 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

The telecoms industry’s voracious hunger for radio and wireless skills … he ongoing and ever increasing demand for network access is driven by business, social and individual insistence on ubiquitous connectivity while on the move, and for ever faster speeds using iPads, smart phones, tablets, laptops and notepads.

There has been a socially driven explosion fuelled by the desire for people to stay in touch via social media and to work while on the move – the world cannot get enough bandwidth. Currently most are satisfied with 10 mbps with current LTE; this will improve and with 5G 100 mbps should be achievable by 2020.

Fibre handles the backhaul but, of course, you cannot sit in your local cafe updating your Facebook status with your iPad trailing a fibre‐optic cable behind you. This is where Wi‐Fi, cellular and WiMAX technology provides the solution.

But who will provide the necessary skills to feed this expansion and exponential worldwide growth?

Typical telecoms industry roles are network designers, solution architects, field engineers, commissioning engineers, project managers and planning engineers, RF surveyors and bid managers, and more. A quick search on any of the jobsites

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specialising in the telecoms industry will result in many pages of high‐earning opportunities with the probability of rapid advancement, not only in the UK but worldwide. There has never been a better time to get into the telecoms industry.

Deployment of advanced wireless systems has generated an appetite for a broader and more advanced set of abilities and competencies. The demand is for the skills to plan, survey, design, cost out, implement and project‐manage complex and sophisticated roll‐outs.

At Ubi‐Tech we can help you become that piece of the jigsaw that completes the picture by gaining a high‐level qualification that is achieving huge credibility in the telecoms industry: our Post Graduate Certificate in Wireless Communications, which is accredited by the University of Wolverhampton.

Get in touch Tel: 01527 893558 email: info@ubi‐tech.co.uk See the advertisement on page 31

Choose CTTS for a flexible future in telecoms he telecoms sector is one of the key drivers to the economic recovery of the UK. With the exponential growth in the telecommunications sector, Cable Telecommunications Training Services (CTTS) is continually designing and developing new accredited qualifications to meet the skills shortages and gaps created. This is why CTTS is one of a handful of centres chosen to have ‘Partner’ status with City & Guilds, as well as being a BTEC/Pearson approved centre.

BT is investing £2.5 billion in its network infrastructure upgrade and Virgin Media has announced the creation of 6,000 jobs through the expansion of its network to cover more UK homes. In addition, the government has committed £540 million to the rollout of broadband distribution networks (BDUK) across the UK, and £5 billion will be invested in tackling mobile ‘not spots’.

‘All these big numbers,’ says Martyn Cook, Director of CTTS, ‘add up to jobs for our Service leavers.’ As a CTTS trainee, you are not only equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to take advantage of the opportunities within the telecoms sector, you are also given support into employment through commercial work experience placements, assistance into employment and continued long‐term support.

The telecoms sector offers long‐term career prospects in full‐time employment, flexible contract work or self‐employment. In addition skills can be transferred abroad, with many CTTS clients going on to work in Australia, Canada, UAE and Europe, for example.

CTTS offers a comprehensive, broad‐ranging portfolio of qualifications forming a number of transition plans to give the Service leavers a broad skill base to take advantage of the many

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different avenues that the sector offers. ‘Often, I see Service leavers channelising themselves into dead‐end options that, should something go wrong, they have no flexibility to seek employment in a different trade within the telecoms sector,’ continues Martyn. ‘Our transition plans are therefore designed to ensure that the Service leaver is equipped to move between the different disciplines within the sector until they find their niche.’

Our transition plans are designed to create a fully rounded telecoms engineer. For example, there are plenty of climbing courses available, however the difference is we teach you to do something at the bottom and the top of the structure you are climbing. Fibre to the antenna is one example of this, where the mobile telephone networks will be upgraded to cope with the predicted increased capacity.

Get in touch Tel: 01522 880900 email: info@cable‐training.co.uk Website: www.cable‐training.co.uk See the advertisement on page 68

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Resettlement round-up

Subsea training in Nigeria

aritime Training and Competence Solutions Ltd (MTCS) has delivered its first ROV induction course in Lagos, Nigeria. Eight candidates (pictured) successfully passed the final exam, their first step towards progressing through the MTCS Competence Management Scheme and to Pilot Technician I. The MTCS induction course follows IMCA guidelines and has been run successfully in the UK for 11 years and in Singapore for three years.

Richard Warburton, Managing Director at MTCS, says: ‘We have detected a requirement for this course to be delivered in West Africa and therefore looked for a local partner. Vision Subsea Nigeria Ltd is an indigenous ROV service company with a wealth of local expertise in assisting in the setting up of the induction courses.’

The course included operational training with a Seaeye Falcon, with extensive technical training, including fault finding and maintenance training.

MTCS already has an established client base in the region and this is seen as a positive step towards offering quality subsea training solutions in Nigeria. Put together in a cost‐effective package without the need for visas and expensive travelling costs, this means the course can now be accessed by even more people who would not have had the opportunity had the course been run in the UK. MTCS is a world leader in training and competence for personnel working in the offshore energy sector, with a particular focus on subsea technology.

As a fully accredited training and assessment centre, we work closely with companies to ensure their personnel are deemed competent in safety‐critical, operational and technical activities. We ensure our clients are fully compliant with the rigorous requirements of the industry with respect to competence of personnel.

Unique smart venture launches for the energy sector

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Get in touch email: Gail@mtcs.info Website: www.mtcs.info

10 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of Energy and Utility Skills (left) with Daniel Coleman, Managing Director of Utilities Academy (right), officially open the UK’s first dedicated smart meter dual‐fuel training academy

overs and shakers from the UK’s energy industry were present to celebrate the launch of the UK’s first bespoke dual‐fuel smart meter training centre, the Utilities Academy, created in a joint venture with global energy recruitment specialists Spencer Ogden.

The Academy is training smart meter engineers in response to the largest energy roll‐ out in decades. It is well placed to meet the expected demand for 14,000 new engineers with its ground‐breaking go‐to market business model to recruit, train, supply and retain specialist NSAP and Gas Safe accredited dual fuel and smart metering engineers to the market.

Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of Energy and Utility Skills, says: ‘The energy sector is gearing up for a significant challenge to ensure the government’s investment in this roll‐out is carried out with the correct workforce, skills and knowledge. Our mission is to ensure our energy industries have the skills they need now and in

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the future; the Utilities Academy is a fine example of just that.

‘Created by forward thinking and experienced energy sector workers, I can see how the Academy will be creating a consistent flow of highly skilled and developed smart meter engineers. It’s good to see such commitment from a relatively small company.’

Phil Bygrave, Commercial Director at Spencer Ogden Energy, adds: ‘This joint venture was a natural move for us. We are a company driven by investing in people, and the Utilities Academy upholds our own values of developing people, skills and knowledge to create better working practices and working environments.

We’re looking forward to taking these highly skilled and employable smart meter engineers to the industry as a solution that will revolutionise the way smart meter technology is deployed in the UK.’ Daniel Coleman, Managing Director of the Utilities Academy, continues: ‘We’re incredibly happy to see months of hard work and planning come to fruition. Our training has been designed to emulate exactly what a smart meter engineer will encounter in their daily work. We are the only company able to provide this much‐needed quality training to the energy industry, and we’re hoping this will be the first of many centres across the country.’

The Utilities Academy is a unique, purpose‐built dual‐fuel smart meter training facility. Based in Bradford, the Academy has secured accreditation status with the National Skills Council, BPEC, Gas Safe Register, CITB and NSAP, and is a Gold Provider of Independently Assessed Energy & Efficiency Assessors.

Get in touch Tel: 0844 414 5169 Website: www.utilitiesacademy.co.uk See the advertisement on page 17

Bluescreen: for high-quality cyber security training luescreen IT is pleased to announce that it has been awarded CCT (Certified Course Training) by CESG and APM Group. It is currently the only IT company in the British Isles to have achieved this award for the delivery of CompTIA Security +.

The CESG Certified Training (CCT) scheme is designed to recognise and assure high‐quality cyber security training.

The CCT scheme provides a high standard of cyber security training in content and delivery. This means that anyone looking to enhance their cyber security skills, including those aspiring to certification in the CESG Certified Professional scheme, can easily identify high‐quality training.

UK cyber security professionals must have the opportunity to gain appropriate knowledge and skills through training and all sectors of the

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economy must have confidence in the quality of the training courses being recommended.

The CCT scheme certifies high‐quality training courses and trainers who deliver courses in cyber security disciplines that are based on the IISP Skills Framework.

This includes training that would be suitable for those aspiring to certification under the CESG Certified Professional (CCP) scheme. The criteria for CCT are aligned with the standards GCHQ uses to assess master’s degrees in General Cyber Security.

Get in touch Tel: 01752 724000 email: info@bluescreenit.co.uk Website: www.bluescreenit.co.uk See the advertisement on page 36

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

Level 3 Surveillance Course ÂŁ1000.00

This 20 day course includes: FPOSi, Live UK Firearms, Pistol, Level 2 Surveillance & Hostile Awareness Diplomatic, Executive, Corporate, Celebrity and Hostile Protection.

www.arg.uk.com E-mail: training@arg.uk.com Tel: 01642 941510

The Ambulance Services need YOU Our courses are the ONLY qualifications recognised by UK NHS Ambulance Trusts and Private Ambulance Services. There is a high demand for service leavers who complete the 10-week programme below.

Edexcel IHCD Ambulance Technician This 7- week course leads to a BTEC Level 3 in Ambulance Aid. It equips you with the clinical skills required to work in pre-hospital health care.

Moulsford: 23rd March to 8th May

Bonhill, nr. Glasgow: 27th July to 11th September

1st June to 17th July 28th to Sep to 13th Nov CMT 1 / RN LMA / RAF MA – to – IHCD Ambulance Technician Conversion This two-week course leads to a BTEC Level 3 in Ambulance Aid. It teaches military medics the additional skills required to work in pre-hospital care.

Moulsford: 20th to 31st July 16th to 27th November Edexcel IHCD Combined Driving Programme (D1+D2) This 3-week course leads to a BTEC Level 3 in Ambulance Emergency Driving. We equip you with the advanced techniques required to drive ambulances on emergency duties whilst claiming exemptions to road traffic law.

Moulsford:

6th to 24th April 8th to 26th June 10th to 28th August

Bonhill, nr. Glasgow: 14th Sept to 2nd October

Our training centre in Moulsford, Oxfordshire is 7 miles from RAF Benson, 9 miles from Abingdon & Didcot Barracks.

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March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

11

Resettlement round-up

ADVICE FOR EX-OFFICERS OA Leeds and Bristol branches open for appointments he Officers’ Association (OA) is continuing its client outreach across the country with the opening of a new office in Bristol, following the launch of its first office in the north, situated in Leeds. Clients can book appointments for one‐to‐one consultations at either location. All OA career consultants have extensive experience of the Services and are well placed to offer impartial, confidential advice when discussing options available in transition.

Head of Employment Services, Liz Stevens, says: ‘The decision to open new offices came about for a number of reasons – we wanted to make it as easy as possible for those stationed in the north and south‐west to access our expertise, while also making it easier for us to communicate the skills ex‐ Officers can bring to employers based in the area.’

To register with the OA, or book an appointment, call 020 7808 4170 or visit www.officersassociation.org.uk/register

Service leaver’s recognised construction training puts him in high demand

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nthony Bennett, former Detachment Commander, is celebrating having successfully gained hands‐on training and qualifications with leading provider Red Rose Training. He’s now qualified in plant operation including Forward Tipping Dumper, 180 Excavator, 360 Excavator and Telescopic Handler.

Anthony says: ‘I recently completed five weeks of training and would recommend Red Rose to any Service leavers wanting to complete construction training. The staff were fantastic from start to finish and will bend over backwards to help you. The instructors’ knowledge, experience and patience ensured I received expert tuition, and their passion for what they do kept me motivated throughout the course. The training area was in a brilliant location and the machinery was modern, giving me real‐life experience of working on a construction site. Overall, Red Rose Training were flexible, friendly and efficient. They provide a high‐quality service and importantly there are jobs to be had in the construction industry.’

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Red Rose Training has provided first‐rate resettlement opportunities to Service leavers for almost 20 years and is well known within the transport industry. As well as being a Driving Standards Agency LGV and PCV test site, as a CPCS test centre, Red Rose Training is accredited to offer the Red CPCS Trained Operator cards, enabling candidates to secure work quickly and easily.

Paul Halton, Managing Director at Red Rose Training, adds: ‘Qualified construction workers are highly sought after in the UK employment market and we offer training that equips Service leavers with widely recognised qualifications. We welcome visitors at any time and, should you wish to discuss resettlement training, view our facilities, meet our staff team and say hello to fellow leavers who have already chosen Red Rose, please feel free to call in.’

Red Rose Training offers comprehensive resettlement packages and individuals can tailor courses to their specific requirements. A whole range of DVLA licence categories are offered, including PCV (minibus and coach), Driver CPC and CPC Management, ADR (HAZMAT), Fork Lift Training and Construction Industry equipment.

Get in touch Tel: 01204 864000 email: yvonne@redrosetraining.co.uk Website: www.redrosetraining.co.uk

VETERANS NEWS

RBLI LifeWorks courses for veterans ast month, national charity RBLI (Royal British Legion Industries) ran its first LifeWorks course for veterans in the new Royal British Legion pop‐in centre in Liverpool. The LifeWorks course provides a comprehensive assessment of a veteran’s background, transferable skills and ambitions, giving each person an individual action plan, guidance and training to help them build a career outside the military.

RBLI helps more than 2,000 veterans into work every year. One former soldier who found work after attending a Lifeworks course was Peter Campbell, a Private in the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards until 1980. He tells Quest: ‘When I lost my job I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. I’d been applying for jobs for a year and not getting anywhere. RBLI spent time helping me find a direction for employment. It was hard work, but they persevered. I can never thank them enough for the work they did. Without them I would still have a depressive outlook on employment. They are worth their weight in gold.’

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12 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

The Liverpool City LifeWorks course is just the first in a series of employability courses to be run from its new pop‐in centres, which have been opened in areas where veterans have settled in large numbers. Course dates already organised for 2015 are: ● 2–6 March Aylesford ● 23–27 March Stirling ● 20–24 April Aylesford ● 11–15 May Aylesford ● 1–5 June Aylesford ● 6–10 July Aylesford ● 3–7 August Aylesford ● 14–18 September Stirling ● 5–9 October Aylesford ● 2–6 November Aylesford ● December TBC More dates will be added as need is identified.

To find out more, call 0800 319 6844, email lifeworks@rbli.co.uk or visit www.rbli.co.uk/employment_solutions/lifeworks

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

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For more information, contact us on 0191 643 2233 or gastraining.info@kier.co.uk Visit www.gastrainingatkier.co.uk for the latest news, case studies and training courses.

March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

13

Resettlement round-up

VETERANS NEWS

The On Course Foundation announces nationwide ambassador scheme

A career in information technology and education The IT industry offers an immensely diverse range of career opportunities hatever your length of service, leaving the Forces and the transition into civilian life and deciding on what course to do can often be very daunting. Through the training division at Open I.T, we will assist you every step of the way.

Open I.T is a UK learning centre that helps thousands of jobseekers, working professionals and Service personnel into IT training programmes every year.

The most common issue raised among training providers is that skills learned often don’t prepare you for the outside world nor how to build a career from your newly gained qualification. Open I.T recognises these issues, so offers hands‐on blended learning solutions, interview techniques and soft skills training, which upon course completion will help individuals with job placements by involving and introducing recruitment agencies.

Open I.T recognises that, in these uncertain times, it is more important than ever that you continue to develop your technical skills in order to keep your career moving forward, by offering a comprehensive range of IT training programmes to a wide variety of individuals across all sectors. Open I.T is constantly adapting to changes within a rapidly moving industry providing market‐ leading and advanced e‐learning training and a passion for educational development.

Open I.T understands that certifications and experience are of paramount importance in determining a candidate’s employability, so we tailor‐ make training programmes to provide both. Strong ties have been established with Hays Recruitment, and training solutions are provided to schools, colleges, Barclays Corporation, the Armed Forces, the NHS and governmental departments, including the Department of Work and Pensions, where we help thousands of people get back into work every year.

Each student is given our undivided attention, commitment and support in helping them with job placements, with the aim of securing employment and a successful career within a highly desired industry.

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he On Course Foundation supports the recovery of injured Service personnel and veterans through golf. The charity aims to build confidence and self‐belief through nationwide golf skills and employment events, and set them on the path to meaningful full‐time employment opportunities in the golf industry.

The Foundation recently launched an Ambassador Initiative to cater for the growing interest in the charity’s work. As well as launching the scheme, the 2015 Ambassadors were announced.

The On Course Foundation was started in 2010 and has already helped hundreds of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and veterans across the country. As interest in the charity grows, there are more demands to attend a variety of events, which has ultimately led to the creation of the Ambassador Programme.

There is a pool of Ambassadors in each region across the country who will formally represent the On Course Foundation at fundraising events and golf days. They will also become spokespeople for the charity, sharing their stories with the golf industry and widening awareness of how golf can help in the rehabilitation of Service personnel.

One story that demonstrates the power of the work that the On Course Foundation does, comes from Stewart Harris, 2015 Ambassador for the Welsh region. Stewart was severely injured in an explosion while serving with the Welsh Guards and suffered traumatic brain injuries. He joined the Foundation in 2014 and golf has become an integral part of his recovery: ‘A round of golf with three other people who have been through similar experiences has proven to be better therapy than any counselling session. The On Course Foundation has helped me become a better person on and off the course so I am very proud to represent them.’

To find out more visit www.oncoursefoundation.com or follow @OnCourseCharity

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14 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

With more than 18 years’ experience, Open I.T is a market leader within its field of IT training and offers ‘best of breed’ IT learning solutions specialising in online and classroom‐based training with bespoke packages for those currently serving in the Forces and ex‐Service personnel alike.

Open I.T has placed students into academic and professional roles such as IT engineering, IT administration, telecommunications, programming, teaching and education, IT networking, IT security, project management, business marketing, web design and many more.

We work with the MoD to provide resettlement training and accreditation on behalf of all major vendors, such as Microsoft, Cisco and CompTIA, covering industry‐ recognised professional courses and certifications such as the MCSE, MCSA, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, ITIL, Prince2, CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker), social media for businesses and web design, to name but a few.

A career in IT, teaching or management If you would like a career in: ● server infrastructure, mainframes and networking ● IT technical/desktop support ● programming or web developer ● counter‐hacking and security ● data centre and database professional ● machine virtualisation and cloud professional ● IT field engineering ● IT communications ● teaching and mentoring ● business marketing and management or if you’re looking to start your own IT business, we have the courses, experience and technical know‐how to get you into a new career. We guarantee to find the right training programme and certification for you. For full course listings, information and prices, please contact our reliable and helpful, but friendly, resettlement training staff (see contact details below). They are highly experienced in the ELC claims process, and can offer free support and career guidance on your new journey.

Get in touch Tel: 0800 599 99 98 or 01279 621 750 email: resettlement@openittraining.com Website: www.openittraining.com/elc See the advertisement on page 37

Resettlement round-up

SKILLS SPOTLIGHT

I DID IT! Name: Richard Harston Final rank: CPO(WS) (AWT) Years served: 28.5 Training courses: Kingswood Tree Surgery Start‐Up and MEWP (cherry picker) Current job: Unit Manager Tree Cutting East at SSE Richard Harston, 49, served for 28.5 years, specialising in Above Water Tactical (AWT) and leaving the Royal Navy in early 2012. He gained civilian qualifications in management while serving and attended his CTW at HMS Nelson.

During his resettlement period, he also undertook Tree Surgery Start‐Up and MEWP (cherry picker) courses with Kingswood Training. This enabled him to secure a position with a local tree surgeon before leaving the Forces.

Of these courses Richard says, ‘I thoroughly enjoyed them. They were presented at the correct pace by very knowledgeable, experienced, friendly, calm and understanding trainers, who pitched the courses at the right level for each student. The facilities were ideal for the training we were undertaking. The course content was informative and very much tailored to our needs. The equipment provided, PPE and small plant were appropriate and varied, giving us an opportunity to try different models and types of design.’

Now working for SSE in its Tree Cutting East department, Richard says: ‘The courses prepared me well for employment. I felt comfortable, safe and at ease in all the aspects of tree work I was subject to after qualifying. In addition to that, and on a daily basis with hands‐on experience, that confidence and experience was greatly enhanced. Although I am now a unit manager and not “on the tools” on a daily basis, I still find time to work alongside my teams and climb regularly

with them. I also conduct private works purely for the feel‐good factor this industry gives me. I generally enjoyed all my previous employment, but now – and at the ripe old age of 49 – I can honestly say I enjoy getting up in the morning and truly love every aspect of tree and utility arb works.

‘I joined SSE as an area manager three years ago,’ he continues, ‘looking after the Aldershot depot area; then I was promoted to the role of unit manager, which is my current job. I now manage the maintenance of the Andover, Aldershot, Petersfield, Portsmouth, West London and Reading areas of the SSE overhead power line network, prioritising and evaluating circuits for vegetation management and clearance. And, in addition to that, all the aspects of man management that come with it. In detail, the job involves multi‐ team management of more than 200 SSE utility arborists and external contractors. I am a main driver in planning, prioritising and maintaining vegetation clearances of overhead power lines to meet ESQC regulations and company policies, liaising between tree cutting, internal and external departments, in order to effectively identify and manage circuits to give not only high value and returns but the maximum in customer service and satisfaction, and ensuring that customer interruptions and minutes lost are kept to the absolute minimum. I am also a mobile deployable coordinator for manpower and resources during heavy periods of storm and in multi‐fault work environments during exceptional weather events across the UK.’ And the good news is, he concludes, ‘I am currently earning more doing what I am now without having to take my pension into account.’

Get in touch Tel: 01732 811162 Website: kingswoodtraining.com See the advertisement on page 11

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Free IT training for ex-military personnel he UK arm of EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) will be investing £250,000 in a programme designed to help tackle the IT skills shortage in the UK. Working with specialist Armed Forces support organisation X‐Forces, EMC will provide seven weeks of training to ex‐military personnel free of charge, equipping them with the skills they need to design, sell and support enterprise IT. The programme is targeted at all branches and ranks of the military. Research recently published by EMC at its London Forum has highlighted the increasing concern among UK business with less than a third believing that their IT skills are sufficient. The Military Leavers programme will give individuals the opportunity to develop their skills and retrain for a number of different roles within EMC and EMC’s channel partner network, among which there is strong demand for capable people able to design, sell and support the IT services and applications needed by modern businesses.

With the support of X‐Forces, the ex‐military trainees will also have access to mentoring, ongoing guidance and seed funding, should they wish to use those skills to start their own business.

EMC will offer seven weeks of lab and online training, covering IT architecture and design, as well as going into detail on storage solutions, data protection and beyond. All courses will be made available online, and trainees will be given full access to the EMC labs – a massive resource of EMC’s and its partners’ technology to test and practise on.

EMC will also be providing the trainees with access to existing ex‐military staff for mentoring support, to offer guidance and support during the course.

Ian Heath, Director, Public Sector, EMC UK (former Captain, British Army) comments: ‘The UK IT industry faces a very real and alarming shortage of trained IT professionals that threatens to impact our overall economy.

By the end of this year it is predicted that the skills shortage will reach 700,000 people across Europe. Providing training for military leavers is one of many ways that we can address this challenge. Our military is full of highly driven and motivated people. Being able to offer them some support during their transition to civilian life is something industry needs to increasingly embrace for our mutual benefit.’

The program is expected appeal to technical personnel leaving the Services and from the Forces’ community, giving them an excellent opportunity to add real value to the commercial sector.’

To find out more, visit www.x‐forces.com or www.EMC.com And, for more information on careers in computing/IT take a look at our feature on page 34.

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Family matters

Won’t someone please think of the children?

Regular Quest contributor Ralph Straw reports once more from the resettlement frontline, this time with a plea for you to keep your children – however young they are – informed of your resettlement plans. After all, they too have intricate lives, social networks and friendship groups, and any upheaval is as much theirs as yours. Even if your leaving is in large part for their benefit, it’s still important to consider them and the effect on them of your actions …

‘I want a friend, daddy,’ Lukas said, staring out of the bay window of the first private residence he’s ever called home.

‘You’ve got friends Lukas … lot’s of them,’ I replied.

‘I never see them, ever since we left our Army house,’ he responded.

As a reader of Quest, I am guessing that you are leaving the Forces. In the long run you most definitely will be. Whatever your reason, you have my admiration: for joining and also for leaving. Two of the most difficult and enriching decisions I have ever made.

An old‐school late‐entry Major once told me that a man is a mug if he leaves the Army for a woman. We’ll rewrite that maxim and say that a decision is best made by the individual, regardless of gender or branch of service.

In my case (and what other case can I cite?), I did make the decision as an individual.

I didn’t tell anyone, including my wife. I just asked her for the car keys, drove to the nearest JPA terminal and signed off. The decision is yours and will be all the more powerful if it remains so, but there is always fallout, positive and negative – for the people you’ll be taking with you and the people you’ll be returning to.

My son Lukas was born in Germany, at a real high point in my career. Local Overseas Allowance afforded my wife and I a lifestyle that we enjoyed to the full. I had an interesting and at times exhilarating job, a diary full of mess functions, a lovely flat and was living, with my family, in the centre of the most civilised country in Europe.

Lukas was, and still is, a beautiful little boy. The garrison had a well‐funded community centre that my wife and son made full use of. One thing soldiers and their wives are very likely to do is reproduce, so there were lots of children of the same age as Lukas.

Despite families being posted, others would always come.

Our neighbour had a son of a similar age

18 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

to Lukas and, when they moved, my wife was a little emotional. Understandable, but it was the Army after all. And another family moved in. Lukas was too young to understand.

After three wondrous years, we were posted as a family to the Army Training Centre in Pirbright. If you have ever been posted to Pirbright and lived in a married quarter then you have my utmost respect and I consider you of my ilk. I am currently writing a book about my time in the Army and I am struggling to find a narrative that would be able to portray the grotesque maintenance and blundering ineptitude of the contracting company charged with the upkeep of soldiers’ homes.

Following one’s intuition is a skill, I think.

And my intuition told me one day to politely evict the tenants from our privately owned home and get my family the heck out of Dodge. Which I did, moving back into the Single Living Accommodation and commuting back to my family home at weekends.

If I was unable to return home at weekends – which was very often as a basic training instructor – my wife and son would stay with me in my accommodation. This was luxurious compared to our married quarter. By luxurious, I mean hot water, heating, fully intact walls and a working cooker.

One weekend, I was at home and my wife was at work. It was a roasting summer’s day and Lukas was in the garden. While I was preparing lunch, Lukas came inside and said, ‘Look daddy, I’ve made a friend.’ he was holding a millipede in one of his little hands.

It broke my heart and I felt ashamed as that was the first time I had considered how leaving the community into which he was born would affect him.

Then he dropped the millipede and it fell between the floorboards. He looked devastated. He had made and lost his first friend in months, in less than a minute.

‘My friend!’ he shrieked as I scooped him into my arms. He was inconsolable and there wasn’t a thing I could do help him.

When the summer was over, he started nursery school in September, and has kept the same friends since. Some have moved of course and he continues to make new friends as well as remembering the old ones, as do I. A few months after the millipede incident, I terminated my colour service and our family was a complete unit again.

When people ask, ‘What made you get out?’, I spare them the drama‐encrusted tale of my exit from the British Army. I’d rather

comment on the positive things. And one thing is that I didn’t want my children changing school every couple of years.

Children with a parent in the Armed Forces qualify for pupil premium: funding for children that are at an educational disadvantage. Also, if someone asks me where I’m from, I reply: Nottingham. I have a hometown that I left at a young age but choose to return to.

While children in the Armed Forces probably don’t have deep roots anywhere, they will certainly be wide. This may suit some people, but it wasn’t what I wanted for my own children. I want them to have a place they could call home, that could help them mould their identity, if they wished.

Your main effort will hopefully be finding the right job. At least the right job for you at this time. And, as I have said in a previous issue, it is worth taking time to support your partner. And if that’s true then, as a parent, you absolutely must consider the effect on your little ones. I didn’t, straight away, and to be honest I guess there isn’t much you can do.

You have to leave. By the way, Lukas was about three when I left.

Quest is about giving guidance and practical advice, so here are some things that, knowing what I know now, I would do. ● Explain to your Hobbits why you are leaving. Very simple. ● Give people notice that you are going. So that your little people and their friends can get things sorted before they depart (five year olds also have politics).

And, as I write this, my wife has just suggested another one, over my shoulder … ● If your children are not of school age, then find the local Surestart centre, parent and toddler groups. When your child starts school they will already know people from these groups. It will also get them into the routine of playing with other adults. But mostly they are good fun, and good for parent and child.

That’s all for this month.

Be well, stay well.

Ralph

ASK RALPH Ralph is passionate about helping and serving people from all walks of life. If you feel he could offer you any help or guidance, he would be delighted for you to contact him via email: ralph@ralphstraw.com It is likely that other Service leavers will be bothered about the same things as you, so with this in mind, we would like to encourage you to get in touch and will publish useful questions and responses (anonymised, of course!) in future editions of Quest for the benefit of our wider readership.

br iefi ng Ca re er

Administration What’s involved? he job of an administrator is central to the sound management of an organisation, whether in the private, public or not‐for‐profit sector. Administration is everybody’s business. It is about coordinating resources, systems, procedures and services – oiling the wheels of the organisational machine.

Technological advances and flatter structures mean that more people now have a responsibility for administrative tasks within their jobs.

The position of an administrator is best illustrated by the company secretary, although the function is fulfilled in a range of positions. The job title varies and may include secretary to the trustees, administration or human resources manager or officer, or office manager.

Administrative management, sometimes also referred to as business administration, is the management of an office, business or organisation. It involves the efficient organisation of people, information and other resources to achieve organisational objectives. Information is

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TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS

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The ability to organise, plan, project manage and control systems is, of course, important; however, other aptitudes and experience are equally vital.

Skills such as effective communication, good interpersonal skills, ability to work on own initiative and in teams, and the ability to relate to customers, are highly valued by employers.

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

key to business operations, and people are the resources who make use of information to add value to an organisation. This means that companies will struggle without some type of administration management. The UK economy depends on the effective operation of companies.

Fundamental to this is their ability to apply quality administrative practice through a combination of professional administrators and, increasingly, good generic administration skills, alongside other technical or specialist skills.

Properly qualified administrative managers play a major part in the legal running of an organisation. They keep a watchful eye on legislation affecting the organisation in areas such as human resources, finance, facilities, equipment and resources, and information technology. The range of duties varies considerably depending on the nature and size of the organisation, and this diversity is attractive for many people.

Administration skills gained in the Services All three Services have their own specialist administrators – generally in the Supply Branch (RN), the Adjutant General’s Corps (Army) and specialisations in the RAF’s administrative branch. However, all Service people are involved in administrative tasks for much of their time in uniform. These tasks vary from full‐time secretarial and personal staff functions to the basic administration that is essential to team operations.

Get qualified!

Skills CFA (formerly the Council for Administration), the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) and the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) together offer a host of qualifications to those wishing to work in this sector.

Please visit their websites (see ‘Key contacts’) to find out more, or read the extended version of this article online at www.questonline.co.uk There are many different qualifications available, as well as relevant work experience that helps with a career in business administration. The ability to organise, plan, project manage and control systems, among many other skills, is as vital as administrative skills and experience.

An extended, more detailed version of this article is available on our website at www.questonline.co.uk

KEY CONTACTS Skills CFA, Tel: 020 7091 9620 email: info@skillscfa.org Website: www.skillscfa.org Twitter: @SkillsCFA Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Tel: 020 7580 4741 email: info@icsa.org.uk Website: www.icsa.org.uk Twitter: @ICSA_News Institute of Administrative Management, Tel: 01952 797 396 email: info@instam.org Website: www.instam.org Twitter: @IAM_1915

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

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Sport and fitness

Sport and fitness

What’s involved? ogether, sport and fitness make up one of the UK’s largest employment sectors, as well as one of the fastest‐growing sectors in the UK economy, focusing on the leading and supervision of sport, exercise and physical activity. The UK has thousands of sport and fitness clubs, leisure centres and gyms for public use, and there is an increasing demand for skilled exercise professionals to fill the growing number of employment vacancies.

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Sport and fitness skills gained in the Services

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As an athlete – both within the Services and outside – sport is a very tough area to break into in any capacity, and it takes talent, hard work and luck to succeed. Loss of form or injury can bring a career to a premature end, so there should also be some preparation for early retirement. Service courses on coaching

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

and officiating, for example, can lead to recognised civilian qualifications.

Each Service has its PT instructors, although each operates very differently in this field.

Military PTI class 1, 2 and 3, and the All Arms PTI certificates qualify holders to join the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS – see box), and there is growing formal recognition for military qualifications by civilian authorities. The sector will generally accept relevant Service training and experience, but individuals must be prepared to take additional courses or undergo assessment to reach official standards. Indeed, when many people think of ex‐Services personnel going into the fitness business, military PT‐based organisations (e.g. ‘boot camps’) are the first to spring to mind, with their outdoor fitness classes run by serving or former members of the Armed Forces. With this in mind, there are courses available that are specially tailored to Service leavers wishing to take up such roles.

The situation is similar in outdoor education and development. The various regulatory bodies only accept civilian qualifications, so Armed Forces’ adventurous training instructors will have to ensure that they meet civilian standards if they wish to continue in this area on leaving the Services.

Get qualified!

There are many different qualifications that help with a career in sport and fitness.

Technical ability is critical, as are skills like effective communication, customer care, teamwork and interpersonal experience.

Many sport and recreation‐related foundation, graduate and postgraduate degrees allow people to teach PE in schools.

Some are part‐time or taken through distance learning, so they are suitable for those already in employment. Higher national diplomas (HNDs) and certificates (HNCs) also prepare people for management jobs, although

Sport and fitness

expertise in a particular sport or area of fitness is also required.

Some FE colleges offer specialist qualifications, and sports coach UK works with the various sport national governing bodies (NGBs) to provide personal development programmes for all sports coaches.

There are sport National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs) at levels 1–3. For the most up‐to‐date information on these, contact SkillsActive direct (see ‘Key contacts’). Individuals are assessed in a number of competencies in the workplace, with most qualifications requiring six

READ ABOUT REPS …

Anyone serious about finding work in the fitness industry should be affiliated to the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) (owned by SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Wellbeing). This is an independent public register, which recognises the qualifications and expertise of health-enhancing exercise instructors in the UK. One of its key functions is to provide a system of regulation for instructors and trainers to ensure that they meet the health and fitness industry’s agreed national occupational standards (NOS).

Membership of REPs provides assurance and confidence to consumers, employers and the health professions that all registered exercise professionals are appropriately qualified, and have the knowledge, competence and skills to perform specific roles.

Members are acknowledged for their: • professionalism • adherence to the industry’s nationally recognised standards • ongoing education.

They are bound by a Code of Ethical Conduct and hold appropriate public liability insurance. In order to remain on the Register, members must continue to meet the standards that are set for their profession through continuing professional development (CPD). To gain recognition by REPs, instructors must provide evidence that they meet the NOS. These standards are produced by SkillsActive, which represents the needs of the industry.

Membership is open to all exercise and fitness professionals who work as: • gym instructors • aqua teachers • group exercise to music instructors • personal trainers • yoga teachers • Pilates instructors • exercise referral instructors • instructors working with special populations • Exercise Movement & Dance Partnership (EMDP) teachers • cardiac rehab phase IV exercise instructors • postural stability instructors (PSIs) • lower back pain instructors • remedial instructors (military only).

Membership also allows for the transferability of skills throughout the UK, across participating countries in Europe and around the world.

To find out more, visit www.exerciseregister.org

mandatory units and four optional ones. To gain them, individuals will need a portfolio of skills and responsibilities. Many people start by gaining a qualification like an NGB coaching or fitness instruction award, and then work to gain the necessary experience.

In the fitness industry, the aforementioned REPs is a system of self‐ regulation for everyone involved with exercise and fitness (again, see the box, which includes a list of the types of employee this covers), while physical education teachers in schools and colleges will have a teaching degree or postgraduate qualification in PE.

Finding employment Fitness instructing A common way to enter the health and fitness sector is as a fitness instructor.

Although there are no formal academic requirements for this, a recognised fitness instructor qualification is usually required and the minimum age to practise unsupervised is 18 years. Applicants to instructing courses require no formal qualifications although it can be an advantage to hold a first aid certificate. For those wishing to enter the industry, it is – as mentioned above – an advantage to register with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs – see box). Fitness instructor work can cover a wide range of activities at a variety of levels, as highlighted by the list of typical REPs members in the aforementioned box.

For those wishing to change career and enter this industry, there is a range of opportunities available; in addition, entry to roles at an older age is not uncommon. There are a host of industry‐endorsed courses, vocational qualifications, apprenticeships and training schemes available.

Sports coaching, teaching and instructing Coaching may form part of a full‐time job role in the industry, like a sports development officer or outdoor instructor. Coaches need an appropriate qualification from a sport NGB, and many of the personal qualities of the coach are ‘people skills’. There is a growing trend within coaching towards part‐ time or freelance employment. Work is available as a voluntary coach within sports clubs or as a part‐time session coach in leisure centres. Many coaches work freelance for a number of organisations, and most have other jobs as well.

The outdoors There are many organisations providing all age groups with a range of sporting, physical and development activities, like walking, climbing, kayaking and caving, or just enjoying their surroundings. Instructors must hold a recognised award from the relevant NGB. Expedition companies usually have a small head office staff who organise and

I DID IT! Name: Mark Jarvis Final rank: Chief Technician Years served: 26 Training: England Hockey Player Coach Course Chief Technician Mark Jarvis, 48, left the RAF in late 2012 following 26 years’ service, having specialised as an Airframe/Propulsion Technician (A Tech Eng). Asked to tell us about the training and experiences gained during his Service career that he now finds useful in civilian life, he cites: ‘management/leadership skills, discipline, engineering-based knowledge, life skills, communication skills, report writing, time management and organisational skills’. As for qualifications gained, he has a BTEC in Engineering, undertook Risk Assessors and Managing Safely courses, as well as achieving GCSEs in Maths and English.

During resettlement, as well as his CTW, from which he took useful guidance in ‘CV writing, access to job recruitment and offers of career support (post-exit from Service)’, he also undertook an England Hockey level 3 Player Coach Course, which was ‘required for the new job I started in September 2012’. This was provided by 1st4Sport/England Hockey.

Asked about his first civilian job on leaving the Forces and how it came about, Mark responds: ‘After searching job ads on the England Hockey website, I saw a vacancy for a Hockey Coach at Wisbech Grammar School. I completed two CVs (one work-based and one hockeybased) and submitted them to the school. I did not receive an offer of an interview as such, though I did contact the school after the interview date to speak to the headmaster, so I could get an understanding of whether my CV had been correct for entering that particular environment. After that phone call, I was asked to attend the school for an interview, both practical and theory-based. I was offered a position later that day, which I accepted.’

He has now been Head of Hockey and DT assistant teacher at Wisbech Grammar School for two years. ‘As Head of Hockey, I am charged with developing hockey within the school, both during training and via competitive events with other schools in the area. This coming year, I am taking on an additional role in the Design & Technology department, using my previous engineering experience (gained in the RAF) to teach first- and second-form pupils.

There is a good working environment. It is a fun, challenging job with plenty of rewards and acknowledgement of achievements (as opposed to the lack of acknowledgment in my previous job).’

Asked to tell us about any similarities between his Service role and current job, Mark says: ‘Some report writing is needed (pupil reports) and some aspects of discipline are required, too.’ As for differences, he highlights that there is now ‘less pressure and more enjoyment in my current job (as opposed to my previous role, which had become a chore). I enjoy the challenge of this job, seeing many rewards and acknowledgement of my achievements – all staff and parents take a genuine interest in roles undertaken.’

There has been a reduction in his salary, though, and Mark admits, ‘I would not have been able to take this role did I not have my pension to add to my yearly wage.’

March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

23

Sport and fitness

market the activities, and a number of freelance leaders and guides who manage things in the field. Service experience is relevant in this area, and it is common to start as a contracted expedition manager before joining a company in a regular capacity.

SKILLS SHORTAGES IN THE INDUSTRY Research undertaken by SkillsActive identifies that there are particular recruitment difficulties and skills issues facing employers in the sports, fitness and outdoors sub-sector, with the following job roles considered particularly hard to fill: • sporting officials (paid and voluntary) • coaches, teachers, instructors and activity leaders (paid and voluntary) • operational help (volunteers).

The most common skills in need of improvement among existing staff were identified as: • sport-specific technical skills • communication • management • child protection.

Research undertaken to explore the impact of the current recession, identifies two key skill areas that employers commonly identify as important in times of recession, namely management and leadership, and customer service.

Source: SkillsActive

24 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Sport, recreation and leisure centres Sport, recreation and leisure centres catering for a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports exist throughout the UK. Employment varies from receptionists, lifeguards, coaches/instructors, supervisors, booking managers and plant technicians to centre managers. Most people start in this area by obtaining coaching or lifeguard awards, and gain experience before moving into management.

Sports development Most local authorities and governing bodies have sports development teams that provide sport and recreation on an outreach basis, taking it into rural and urban communities.

Experience in voluntary sports coaching and administration or strategic leisure management is relevant. Specific sports development qualifications and courses exist at certificate and diploma levels; however, coaching awards are usually sufficient.

What can you earn?

The sport and fitness sector is not particularly well paid, starting with the minimum wage.

According to the latest available edition of SkillsActive’s Working in Fitness Survey, the average basic salary is £21,500 across all occupations working in permanent or self‐ employment. However, this varies widely according to the type of work, as the

following examples of annual salaries in the fitness workforce demonstrate: ● self‐employed/freelancer – £23,700 ● permanent full‐time – £21,600 (ranging from £14,500 for a gym instructor (level 2) to £24,100 for management) ● permanent part‐time – £14,400.

The highest salaries are earned in senior management roles (an average of £32,800), while the lowest earners are the level 2 occupations of gym instructor and group exercise and aqua instructors at less than £15,100. The level 3 roles range from basic salaries of £18,600 (advanced instructors) to £26,000 (personal trainers).

KEY CONTACTS Department for Culture Media & Sport, Tel: 020 7211 6000 email: enquiries@culture.gov.uk Website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ department-for-culture-media-sport Twitter: @DCMS SkillsActive, Castlewood House, Tel: 020 7632 2000 Website: www.skillsactive.com Twitter: @SkillsActive sports coach UK, Tel: 0113 274 4802 Website: www.sportscoachuk.org Twitter: @sportscoachUK Register of Exercise Professionals, Tel: 020 7632 2022 Website: www.exerciseregister.org

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Telecommunications

Telecommunications

THE DAY JOB: TELECOMS TECHNICIAN

What’s involved? career in the telecommunications industry will suit those who enjoy constant change and want to get involved with technology at the cutting edge. It is a wide‐ranging, competitive and fast‐changing industry, and it offers an array of career options. Driven by advances in communications technology, notably the internet, broadband and mobile phones, the telecoms industry is, according to e‐skills UK (the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology), fast becoming indistinguishable from the IT industry. Many of the new technologies use broadband data networks carrying high volumes of

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TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS

28

Service leavers need to discover the area of telecoms that is right for them, and for which they can reasonably expect to have the necessary qualifications and background. There is a wide range of resettlement training courses in this sector, but individuals are advised to talk with people working in the industry to try to establish a reasonable starting point based on their previous skills and experience. They should then look for the courses and training that suit them. The key is to start early and take resettlement training, so that it can be enhanced by self study, academic qualifications and an industry placement.

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

multimedia traffic, and this is reflected in the skills required and the job roles available.

In this brief look at the telecoms industry, it is only the connection between the equipment at both ends of the system that will be considered. However, this is a somewhat artificial line to draw because software and hardware developments increasingly affect both the formulation and use of information, becoming interlinked with its transmission and delivery. So, readers should be familiar with the term ‘information and communication technology (ICT)’.

Indeed, the technology convergence mentioned above, between the IT and telecoms industries, is demanding upskilling in telecoms to a profile more similar to that of the IT industry, with skills traditionally regarded as being IT‐based rather than telecoms‐based now being required. (To find out more about this, you might want to take a look at our ‘Computing and information technology’ feature elsewhere in this issue.)

And, as with the IT sector, business and interpersonal skills are becoming more important.

Convergence of the telecoms and IT industries means that voice and data communications, which used to be two separate areas, are now coming together and using the same communications channels.

The key to telecoms is ‘bandwidth’ – the

Telecoms technicians install, repair and maintain broadband, mobile phone and landline telephone networks. They also work on satellite, digital TV and fibre-optic systems. If you have good practical skills, and can track down and solve problems, this could the job for you. You need to be well organised, able to follow technical diagrams, and happy to work as part of a team or on your own. You will need a background and qualifications in a related area, like electronics, electrical servicing or computer networking.

As a telecoms technician you would install, test and repair communications and data communications systems, such as: • fixed-line and mobile telephony networks • copper-wire and fibre-optic cabling • VoIP communication systems • analogue and digital satellite systems • wireless radio networks providing internet access via PCs, smartphones and tablets.

Your work could vary in scale from setting up a communications network in a large organisation to the installation of a home satellite system. Your work could involve: • laying, connecting and testing underground and underfloor cabling • testing and repairing faults in public and private switching exchanges • working with aerial rigging and related equipment • installing mobile and static antennae on buildings or masts • designing, building and testing telecommunications components and equipment.

Source: National Careers Service

Telecommunications

amount of information that can be carried by a particular method of transmission like a cable or a radio wave. Modern developments involve enlarging the capacity of the links, increasing global coverage, joining end‐users together, and providing more facilities over more networks.

Mobile telecoms To most people these days, mobile telecoms means mobile or smart phones, with links using radio and microwave, and their masts and dishes can be seen all around. Satellites may also be used in both mobile and static telecoms networks. Digital TV uses both cable and satellite services, while 3G – and, now, 4G – technology, smart phones, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and quad‐ band devices are commonplace.

Fixed telecoms Fixed telecoms may include all the infrastructure necessary to run a local or wide area network, and the links between the two.

It may provide business services, telephones, television and much more besides, and may be used to transmit voice, data, graphics or any combination of these. The most common carriers of fixed telecoms are cables, made from both copper and fibre‐optics.

Networks Typically, a number of different commercial organisations will both provide and share telecoms network facilities. Signals pass through switches and links owned by many companies and rented by the service provider. Their routing is up to the owner of

TYPICAL TELECOMS JOBS The main job roles in the telecoms industry include: • aerial rigging • equipment wirer and assembler • exchange power technician • internal network construction • installer of radio equipment in cars • international networks • mobile switching engineer • network management • network planning • narrowband and wideband planning • radio base station engineer • radio frequency engineer • radio repair technician • radio systems design engineer • satellite communications • systems production supervisor • field operations, including - fibre-optic installation and configuration - fibre-optic repair and renewal - 21CN network technician - core access network technician - installation and support technician - customer support.

Source: www.e-skills.com (you can find out about all of the above jobs, in detail, here)

the links, and a mobile phone call will be just one message among those of many other phone users. However, over the next few years, there will be a move away from circuit‐ switched voice networks to a system that works completely through the internet.

Messages need protocols to ensure that they get to the right place. They may need to be compressed and then decompressed, and they may be split into tiny fragments, with each one being sent separately and the whole being reconstituted.

Telecoms skills gained in the Services Each Service has its ‘expert’ telecoms staff in the specialist communications and electronics branches, although there may be other people serving who have considerable expertise. Some will have relevant degrees, while others will have other qualifications.

Some people will also have specialised in telecoms and/or electronics as part of their career pattern. They are still likely to have a number of very transferable and marketable skills, but these may need to be targeted in a particular area.

Service people without the necessary technical background can still enter the industry, but this will probably be at a lower level. Their personal qualities are valued, as are the core skills they may bring, including map reading, first aid and even an ability to work at heights.

Get qualified!

Those in the Forces can gain qualifications through their employment and personal development while they are serving. This will primarily be to do with the theory necessary to use equipment, its actual use, and how to pass on that knowledge to others. The academic background and the principles of certain equipment use will be highly relevant to future employment, so the aim should be to build up these qualifications, while those whose career path does not include such courses should look at day release, evening classes, open learning and the internet for opportunities to learn before they leave.

Once you have left the Forces, you would normally receive training from your employer, and ongoing courses to keep you up to date. You may also be able to work towards industry qualifications, such as these: ● level 3 Diploma in Telecommunication Systems ● level 3 (NVQ) Diploma in Cabling Installations ● level 3 (NVQ) Certificate in Rail Engineering Telecoms Installer ● HND in Electrical or Electronic Engineering (Communication) ● foundation degree, HND or degree in telecommunications, data communications and digital communications.

A suite of national occupational standards has been launched by e‐skills UK; to find out more about these and to get a wider picture of the qualifications available, visit www.e‐ skills.com/nos

I DID IT! Name: Stuart Stedman Final rank: Corporal Years served: 17 Training: Post Graduate Certificate in Wireless Communications Corporal Stuart Stedman was medically discharge from the Army after serving 17 years, leaving as an Electronic Warfare Operator. Asked to tell us about the training and experience gained during his Service career that he now find useful in civilian life, he replies: ‘being in demanding and stressful environments while thinking on your feet has given me the ability to assess situations in a very logical order to arrive at the most effective outcome – as well as having a can-do attitude, discipline and time keeping my current employer is astounded by!’

During resettlement he took Ubi-Tech (3R) Ltd’s Post Graduate Certificate in Wireless Communications. Asked whether the course was useful, he replies: ‘It opened my eyes to the plethora of opportunities available in the communications industry’, adding: ‘The course gave me the confidence to hold my own within the civilian working environment. The course at Ubi-Tech set me up for the entering the civilian workforce with a positive approach. The information and training they supply, along with contacts they have introduced me to, have been invaluable.

‘I am currently working as a radio maintenance engineer based in St Ives. No two days are the same. The training I undertook has really helped in my current role and I apply the experience daily. Due to the ability to utilise the training and support that was offered by Ubi-Tech I have already reached the role of lead engineer within the company and taken charge of projects in Birmingham and Tyneside. If I am successful at the end of these projects I have been informed there will be a position of project manager on future projects, therefore further promotion in a very short time-frame of a matter of months.

‘For those who are embarking on a new career in the civilian market and would like to remain within the communications industry or start a new career, then I would highly recommend Ubi-Tech as a resettlement provider.

They are dedicated to helping ex-Forces personnel as many of their staff are ex-Service men and women themselves.’

See the advertisement on page 31

March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

29

Telecommunications

Finding employment Industry recruiters face three main problem areas: 1. lack of qualifications 2. lack of experience 3. shortage of essential skills.

Also regarded as being of key importance to employers, and possessed by Service leavers, are: ● problem‐solving skills ● oral communications ● team‐working skills.

In addition to catering for continued growth, recruitment into IT and telecoms also needs to replace those who leave the sector due to retirement or for other reasons. More than one‐third of companies trying to recruit IT and telecoms professionals report difficulties in attracting applicants with the right skills.

This is generally due to mismatches in terms of business and high‐level technical skills needs. Micro establishments are most likely to rate applicants’ skills levels as below those required. Virtually all companies experiencing recruitment problems report a negative impact on their company’s activities, the most common effect being difficulties in meeting customer service objectives. There is also a need to radically improve the understanding and appeal of careers in IT and telecoms among women.

There are various ways in to the industry.

To become a telecommunications technician

for instance (see box), you may be able to complete an apprenticeship with an electronics, telecommunications or IT company. Vacancies in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers.

Alternatively, you may be able to get a trainee position with an installation company if you already have experience and/or qualifications in electronic or electrical engineering, or servicing. If not, you could take a college course to gain qualifications in these areas.

As data (IT) and telecommunications systems merge, demand is increasing for technicians who have skills in both fields, especially wireless broadband technologies and VoIP. Typical employers include telephone and broadband network providers, mobile phone operators, cable, satellite and digital TV companies, rail signal engineering and power transmission companies. There may also be opportunities with the Ministry of Defence, the police and emergency services.

With more experience, you could progress to network planning and design, the research and development of new products, and project management.

What can you earn?

Because pay varies so much from one company and contract to another, the following figures are for guidance only,

although the average reported annual salary is around £35,000: ● engineer – £15,000 to £25,000 ● team leader – £18,000 to £22,000 ● project manager – £22,000 to £40,000 ● technical trainer – £28,000 to £50,000 ● network engineer – up to £50,000.

Overtime, shift work and benefits can increase these rates.

KEY CONTACTS Confederation of Aerial Industries Ltd, Tel: 01923 803030 email: office@cai.org.uk Website: www.cai.org.uk Twitter: @CAILtd e-skills UK, Tel: 020 7963 8920 email: info@e-skills.com Website: www.e-skills.com Twitter: @eskillsUK Fibre Optic Industry Association Tel: 01763 273039 email: secretary@fia-online.co.uk Website: www.fia-online.co.uk Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP), Tel: 01932 788861 email: enquiries@theITP.org Website: www.theitp.org Twitter: @ITPnetwork Society of Cable Telecommunication Engineers (The Society for Broadband Professionals), Tel: 01923 815500 email: office@thescte.eu Website: www.scte.org.uk Twitter: @scte_

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Computing and IT

Computing and information technology What’s involved? nformation technology (IT) is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange and use information in its various forms (business data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and many other forms – including those not yet even created!). It is a convenient ‘umbrella’ term that can encompass both the telecoms and computing/IT sectors (to find out more about the telecoms side of things, take a look at the feature elsewhere in this issue, which deals specifically with that area). IT is the technology that is driving what is often referred to as the ‘information revolution’. It deals with the use of computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information, securely.

At the centre of everyday life and with a significant presence in almost all industries and businesses, computing and IT together provide employment for huge numbers of people. To get an idea of just some of the jobs in this sector, take a look at the accompanying ‘Typical IT jobs’ box.

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You could be creating technological applications or systems, solving problems using technology or supporting people who use it. Within the IT industry there are also jobs in business, marketing, HR and finance. On top of this, more than 40% of IT and telecoms professionals work outside the IT industry, in areas such as retail, finance, manufacturing and the public sector.

such as Facebook and Twitter, are all keen to employ cyber experts.

Employers are looking for those who can combine technical skills with an understanding of broader business objectives, to be able to solve real business issues, particularly for consultancy roles.

There is a demand for numerate and IT‐ literate people to work in analytics and solve business problems.

Skills shortages

Computing and IT skills gained in the Services

There is currently demand for higher‐level technical skills, in particular to develop products and services to meet the needs of the fast‐moving nature of the industry.

This includes knowledge of the most up‐ to‐date programming languages and systems such as cloud computing (see below to find out more).

Cyber security is a growing field that is worth a mention. Currently there are not enough experts to counteract more advanced cyber attacks. There is also an increase in opportunities for information security officers and information risk managers, who manage threats posed to businesses. Large organisations, the government and social media companies,

Each Service has its ‘expert’ IT staff; they will know exactly who they are and where their particular skill set might lead. They are generally found in the specialist communications, administrative and electronics branches, although there may be some people serving outside those areas who have considerable expertise.

Others will have specialised in computing and/or electronics but only as part of their career pattern. They are still likely to have a number of very transferable and marketable skills, but these may need to be targeted in a particular area, or improved or widened in the period before leaving.

Computing and IT

There is a great deal of computing and IT training available through the resettlement system. Preferred suppliers and other training providers offer a wide variety of courses in this field.

Get qualified!

Industry advice is for Service people to gain as much academic knowledge as possible while still serving that can be enhanced by practical training during the resettlement period. Knowledge can be developed through self study, academic qualifications via a college and an industry placement nearer discharge.

Career changers will have to learn to use specific applications or languages (see below). How much formal training is required will depend on the new career path, as well as individual experience and aptitude. The options available range from conversion courses to work placements.

Some companies recruit only those who have already been working in the industry, but most will take on new entrants. Many will take new recruits with little or no technical knowledge and offer training, provided they have other valued skills, and show they are enthusiastic and capable of learning. To increase the chances of getting a good job, individuals should aim to demonstrate these attributes through work experience connected to ICT (information and communication technology), or a course or qualification in

TYPICAL IT JOBS Many jobs in this sector, particularly those that involve working with customers, require good interpersonal skills, as well as team-working and problem-solving abilities. All have technical content, ranging from the in-depth skills of a software developer through to roles that may need much less detailed knowledge. Some typical roles are: • business analyst • helpdesk operator • trainer • software developer • technical author • technician • engineer • computer forensics • content management • cyber security and risk management • data analysis and analytics • games development • geographical information systems (GIS) • hardware engineering • information management • IT consultancy (business and technical) • IT sales • software engineering (designing, building, developing, testing) • systems/network management • technical support • web design.

an ICT‐ or business‐related subject; and they should develop and be able to demonstrate skills such as communications and problem solving.

Computing and IT qualifications Academic qualifications provide a thorough grounding in the principles that will be highly relevant for future training, although much of the detail will rapidly become out of date. There are also both generic and vendor‐specific qualifications.

The generic ones certify achievements in the general field of computing and IT, while vendor‐specific ones demonstrate a level of expertise in a particular manufacturer’s products. Many people hold both, and even a portfolio of qualifications in the products of different manufacturers, as it is often important to be able to operate across both boundaries and equipment.

Generic qualifications include academic courses. Degrees (foundation or higher), HNDs and HNCs are all highly valued, with the theoretical knowledge involved always being relevant. Degrees tend to be in computer science, with HNDs and HNCs in software engineering.

An A‐level or GCSE in computer studies might be the academic starting point for the beginner.

NVQs (levels 1 to 5) and apprenticeships are available, based on sector‐approved national occupational standards (NOS), but some employers may not be very familiar with them, and

THE ECDL The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is the world’s number one IT user qualification. Seen as the benchmark for digital literacy in educational systems around the globe, the ECDL equips learners with the skills to use a computer confidently and effectively, building on existing knowledge and motivating further learning.

No prior computing skills or knowledge of IT are required to study for the ECDL – it is designed for those who wish to gain a benchmark qualification in computing to enhance their career prospects or for personal development. The recently launched ‘new ECDL’ is composed of a range of modules – each provides a practical programme of up-to-date skills and knowledge areas, which are validated by a test.

This enables you to develop and certify your computer skills in the subject areas of your choice and to the level you need. Through the module combination you choose, you can create your own individual ECDL Profile.

The new ECDL range of modules is categorised as Base modules, Standard modules and Advanced modules – choosing those that are right for you will depend on your current skills and experience, as well as on what you want from your qualification.

To find out more, visit the BCS website: www.bcs.org The ECDL Foundation website is at www.ecdl.org

some other qualifications may be more useful. Vocational A‐levels may also be taken – usually through colleges – and these can provide a job‐orientated qualification with a strong academic element. The experience gained in acquiring these qualifications will be valuable in finding employment.

e-skills UK’s NOS and ITQ e‐skills UK has launched NOS for both IT users and IT professionals; to find out more about these, visit www.e‐ skills.com/nos User NOS may be gained through an IT user qualification (ITQ).

The ITQ is based on the NOS for IT Users 2009 and provides an up‐to‐date, nationally recognised IT user qualification tailored to business and individual needs.

More than three‐quarters (77%) of the UK workforce use IT in their jobs, but one in ten businesses say there are gaps in the IT skills they need. The ITQ is helping to fill these gaps. The ITQ can be tailored to different work requirements (as well as the use of computers and mobile IT devices, it can cover other ICT systems, including those used in engineering, manufacturing and teaching) and studied for at college or in the workplace – find out more at www.e‐skills.com/standards‐ and‐qualifications/it‐user‐qualifications‐‐‐ itq

The CompTIA The CompTIA runs a series of certifications, which are credentials achieved through a testing process to validate knowledge within a specific IT support function. Its exams are developed by subject matter experts, and the certifications are recognised throughout the industry as foundation‐level skill sets.

These qualifications are widely recognised and may also form modules in other ICT awards and programmes.

The British Computer Society The British Computer Society (BCS – the Chartered Institute for IT) is a qualifying body for chartered IT professionals that has its own exam structure: ● European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) (see box) and other user qualifications ● Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB) qualifications, which provide industry‐recognised qualifications that measure competence, ability and performance in many areas of IT ● BCS professional exams, which at their highest level take students to the academic level of an honours degree, and acknowledge practical experience and academic ability.

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Professional vendor qualifications Professional vendor qualifications are training and exams in a specific manufacturer’s products. The manufacturer should be a major supplier in the industry for its qualifications to have value, but do bear in mind that the qualification that is so valuable today may have less value tomorrow if the manufacturer goes out of business or there is a major change in technology.

Microsoft qualifications are perhaps the best known, with Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) seen as the globally recognised standard for IT professionals. This new MCSE certification differs from the old Microsoft Certified System Engineer (also known by the initials MCSE) certification in that it focuses on the ability to design and build technology solutions, which may include integrating multiple technology products and span multiple versions of a single technology, whether on‐premises or in the cloud. In contrast, the previous Microsoft Certified System Engineer certification focused on a specific job role. The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification is also available, replacing the old Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification (also known by the acronym MCSA). The new MCSA certification is a prerequisite to

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Microsoft’s MCSE expert‐level certifications for experienced IT professionals. It focuses on the ability to design and build technology solutions, whereas the previous Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification focused on a specific job role. Microsoft, of course, offers a host of differently targeted certifications and exams – for full details, check out the ‘Learning’ area of its website: www.microsoft.com/learning/en‐ us/mcsa‐certification.aspx Microsoft is not, however, the only manufacturer on the market, and other big players, like Novell (Certified Novell Engineer and Certified Novell Administrator) and Cisco Systems, also have their own qualifications.

Finding employment Obtaining employment is inevitably a combination of: ● qualifications ● experience ● networking ● work placements ● the right CV ● going for the right job.

Those entering similar employment to that they had in the Forces may well start at the same level; those going into an unrelated field will probably start further down the ladder. Once into a company the

employment possibilities are enormous in this expanding and changing industry.

‘Permanent’ employment is often regarded as lasting three to five years, and people commonly change employer every two years or so. In‐house training is often provided, and good people can achieve rapid promotion.

What can you earn?

Salary expectations vary hugely from one company and contract to another, so it is difficult to give an accurate picture.

However, a relatively unskilled employee might earn up to £18,000, a technician (engineer or analyst) £25,000 to £35,000, a manager (user, data, support), £35,000 to £45,000, and a head of services anything from £60,000 upwards.

KEY CONTACTS e-skills UK, Tel: 020 7963 8920 email: info@e-skills.com Website: www.e-skills.com Twitter: @eskillsUK CompTIA UK, Tel: 020 7330 6060 email: info_uk@comptia.org Website: www.comptia.org Twitter: @comptia British Computer Society, Tel: 01793 417424 or 0845 300 4417 (lo-call rate) Website: www.bcs.org Twitter: @bcs

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

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37 March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

Surveillance

Surveillance

THE SECTOR AT A GLANCE What’s involved? n recent years there has been a sharp rise in demand for covert surveillance operations (including private investigation, PI) to counteract a range of criminal activities, such as insurance and workplace fraud. A variety of organisations, industries and businesses use surveillance and PI operatives – either employing them directly or subcontracting their services as required.

Much of the industry comprises ex‐ military personnel, and the private sector is currently at an all‐time high, with much work coming from major insurance companies investigating personal injury claims. Surveillance saves money, defeats crime and provides evidence to gain convictions, with clients spending money on operatives in order to save money for their own businesses. In general, the market is strong, expanding and ideal for those with operational experience from the Armed Forces.

The role of a surveillance or PI operative in the private sector is to gather intelligence and evidence covertly without the subject of the surveillance being aware, in order to gain a pattern‐of‐life study on the subject. Hours can be unpredictable, and the work challenging, time‐consuming and occasionally frustrating. Operatives

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may need to travel long distances (sometimes in short periods of time), and the work requires flexibility, mental agility, patience, professionalism and stamina. It requires commitment, honesty and the ability to work alone or as part of a mixed‐ gender team.

Surveillance-related skills gained in the Services Surveillance work is perfect for ex‐military personnel – especially those with experience in covert operations. Directly transferable skills include: ● flexibility and multi‐tasking ● professionalism and reliability ● integrity ● working on own initiative while simultaneously working as part of a team ● quick thinking/acting and clear communication ● patience (‘hanging around’ is inevitable) ● vigilance (noting minute details and changes) ● a relatively good level of fitness ● being a safe driver and having technical competence.

Other skills include: ● working within the law ● accurate record keeping that may need to stand up to scrutiny in court.

approx. 25–30 private companies employing surveillance operators

approx. 400 individuals working as self-employed surveillance officers

2–5 days typical length of surveillance operations

25+ typical starting age of ex-military personnel joining the surveillance sector (although it should be stressed there are no age limits) Note: all figures apply to the UK

TOP TIPS FOR TRAINING Some useful advice for would-be operatives seeking appropriate training …

Before you commit: • research the qualification – what exactly does it cover, and is it respected and credible in the industry and the outside world?

• speak to students who have taken courses with the companies you are researching – they will be able to give you impartial information about the courses and about their employment opportunities on completing them • talk to learning providers and ask to visit their premises to sit in on the training that is actually taking place.

Surveillance

Several companies actively recruit from ex‐military personnel, fully recognising the range of transferable skills and personal attributes of those men and women who have been members of the Armed Forces.

Get qualified!

Although relevant technology training will help operatives keep up with the fast pace of change in terms of the equipment used (e.g. covert cameras and vehicle tracking), there are currently no compulsory qualifications or licensing requirements to work specifically in the surveillance industry (other than to operate CCTV equipment). And, while having qualifications will improve your job prospects with larger surveillance companies, you

PRIVATE INVESTIGATION UPDATE In 2013 the Home Secretary announced the government’s intention for the SIA to regulate private investigation activities. In December 2014, the Home Office said that the government expects the introduction of the statutory licensing of private investigation activities to come into force as soon as possible during the next Parliamentary session, which starts in May 2015.

The SIA says that it will continue to work with the Home Office, which has responsibility for introducing the regulation of the private investigation sector. In advance of the regulation date, it will engage with the security industry to update its ‘Get Licensed’ criteria, and will continue to publicise widely further information about the proposed regulation of private investigations, including the provision of information on likely timings once these are agreed with the Home Office.

The Private Security Industry Act 2001 defines the licensable activities of private investigations. According to the Act you will, when the new legislation comes in to force, need an SIA licence if you are involved in any surveillance, inquiries or investigations that are carried out for the purposes of: • obtaining information about a particular person or about the activities or whereabouts of a particular person, or • obtaining information about the circumstances in which, or means by which, property has been lost or damaged.

Hence anyone involved in providing contracted private investigation services will require a licence. This includes employees, employers, managers, supervisors, and directors or partners of private investigation companies. It is as yet unclear if the Home Office will also require the SIA to regulate ‘inhouse’ private investigations.

should be aware, when choosing a training provider, that each sets its own standards and its own benchmarks, and governs the amount of practical work you carry out as part of the course. Indeed, where surveillance‐related awards, certificates and diplomas are concerned, there is currently no ‘official’ governing body (along the lines of the SIA) that dictates or approves what goes into training courses and qualifications. The SIA is, however, currently developing its approach to the licensing of private investigation activities. It has now endorsed a qualification and says that it will ensure that licence‐linked qualifications are available when it regulates this sector – so, operating as a private investigator, security consultant or precognition agent will be licensed. See the ‘Private investigation update’ box to find out more.

Currently, training providers design and offer their own qualifications in surveillance and PI, and – as mentioned above – set their own standards. In effect, this means that no two courses from different training providers either offer the same course content (in terms of theory and practical work), title or structure, or result in the same qualification or level of skills – so, when selecting where to do your training, it is absolutely vital that you do your homework. Always bear in mind that the certificate with which you leave your course (if you pass!) is worth something in the outside world only if the company that provided your training is respected and has credibility in the industry. For this reason, the best advice we can offer to our readers is ‘let the buyer beware’!

To gain the required skills, some in this sector also advise training with operational training companies that conduct surveillance as well as provide courses. The advantage of this is that – although it is comparatively rare that trainees will end up working with that particular company – they could find themselves part of a useful network, and possibly recommended to other operational companies and organisations.

So, to sum up the general industry advice on training, if you are thinking of pursuing a career in this industry you should carry out your own, very thorough, research and strive to meet with a reputable training provider before making any

I DID IT! Name: Lee Mahoney Final rank: Lance Bombardier Courses: Level 4 BTECs: Tactical Surveillance Procedures; Tactical Foot and Mobile Surveillance

Lance Bombardier Lee Mahoney left the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 2006. At the time he was serving as 2nd in command of a 155 Self Propelled Howitzer (AS90). Lee left as he had got engaged and wanted to start a family away from the Armed Forces. Here, he talks about his experience of leaving the military and joining The Surveillance Group (TSG) …

When I left the Armed Forces I was interested in surveillance but a little worried that I had never undertaken any meaningful surveillance duties/work while in my regiment. After attending an Insight to Industry day at TSG I was assured that I would gain all the training I would need to pursue a career by undertaking level 4 BTECs in Tactical Surveillance Procedures and Tactical Foot and Mobile Surveillance. The courses were challenging but enjoyable, and I was amazed to find that I could transfer a lot of skills that I had learned from the Army into this sector.

I was trained by an operative who was experienced and well trained. This is one of the things I like about working for TSG – they are always ready to support you, give further training and reward you when you deserve it. I was surprised at how quickly I picked things up, and at how ready I felt to take the next step up and become a team leader. Luckily for me the operations manager was in agreement and I was promoted within my first year.

I spent several years as a team leader and I enjoyed every day of it. I thrived on new challenges and regularly meeting new operatives, as the operatives in my team seemed to get promoted quickly. The thing I have most enjoyed, though, has been watching TSG grow as a company and become the best. To be a part of that is exciting, and I know that there are lots of opportunities left to grab within the company – for example, experience in the Unmanned Camera, Brand Protection and Special Projects departments.

In 2013 the company saw something in me that they liked and I was promoted to field trainer. My responsibility in this role is to further train new operatives who have passed our training courses in Worcester. It is vital to make sure that new starters understand that TSG expects nothing less than 100% every day. I teach them the techniques I have learned over my eight years with TSG and give them the best start – the same start I was given.

Recently I have been given a great opportunity to become a training instructor on TSG’s portfolio of BTEC courses. I train individuals who have left or are leaving the Forces, or civilians who want to work in the surveillance industry. This is a fantastic chance for me to develop the trainee from their very first day and I’m really enjoying it.

The best thing about this new role is that around courses I get to stay on the ground and keep fresh, allowing the company to provide the best training they possibly can for delegates. I am an operative who has genuinely loved every day and I channel this into my training.

I left the Army not really knowing what I could do and not knowing what I wanted to do. Eight years down the line, joining TSG was the best decision of my life. Being part of TSG has given me a life that I’m very, very proud of. I have an ever-evolving career and a very healthy wage to go with it!

Get in touch Tel: 0800 587 0170 email: info@thesurveillancegroup.com Website: www.thesurveillancegroup.com/contact See the advertisement on page 40

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Surveillance

commitment. You should also be wary of any training company that promises employment on completion of a course or

THE DAY JOB: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR Typically, operatives travel long distances to conduct covert surveillance – preferring not to work on their own doorsteps. Many operatives work from home, travelling daily to the location of surveillance and acting on the brief given by the client. A normal ‘start’ is about 5am, and will entail reconnaissance, static work, mobile and foot surveillance (with the subject being filmed for evidence in either civil and criminal cases in court).

A day of surveillance usually ends with report writing.

Operatives do stay overnight in some locations, depending on how long the particular job is taking or the proximity of the next job to the current one. An operative could find him/herself working covertly in a supermarket, a city centre, a building site, flying abroad for a short period of time (to hostile and non-hostile environments), and so on. Each day is different, and no two jobs are the same. An operative might expect to be monitoring, for example, someone who has claimed money for an injury that they say prevents them from walking or driving. In gathering evidence against that person, the operative would be taking notes and filming how far the person actually walked, drove, etc., then handing over that evidence to be used in a court of law.

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that you will be added to a database of operators as a means of finding guaranteed employment.

exciting, rewarding and, potentially, adventurous choice.

Finding employment

If an operative is employed by a company then, depending on the size of that company, he or she can typically expect an annual salary that starts at about £20,000.

Some companies may offer overtime at an hourly rate, a bonus scheme, a company car, travel expenses and all surveillance equipment. Subcontracted work is often paid by the day, which may typically amount to between £110 and £250, depending on experience.

There are numerous organisations that look to employ surveillance and PI operators. Some of these provide services to the corporate/legal sector, where surveillance is often utilised to help in the fight against suspected fraud, theft and corporate malpractice, and with legal and civil actions, disputes and litigation cases.

There are also companies who work within the provision of investigation and surveillance services purely to the private individual, where matrimonial and personal issues, say, are involved.

Operatives may work directly for surveillance companies or have work subcontracted to them.

As the above examples make clear, there is a broad range of operational work available and it is down to the individual operator to decide which area he/she wishes to work in. Initially it may be a case of taking whatever is on offer and that you are comfortable with, in order to build operational experience and find your feet in this sector. Working in this area offers an ideal opportunity for many ex‐Service personnel. Being your own boss, in a role that has plenty of variety, makes it an

What can you earn?

KEY CONTACTS Association of British Investigators, Tel: 01253 297 502 email: info@theabi.org.uk Website: www.theabi.org.uk Twitter: @investigatorsUK Institute of Professional Investigators, Tel: 0870 330 8622 email: admin@ipi.org.uk Website: www.ipi.org.uk Twitter: @IPInvestigators Security Industry Authority, Tel: 0844 892 1025 Website: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk Twitter: @SIAuk

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Hit the road!

Hit the road!

Want to carve out a new career in the world of road transport? Here’s the steer on driver and transport manager qualifications, licensing and training

What’s involved? his article aims to give you the inside track on passenger transport and road freight driver training, as well as transport management, with a particular focus on the qualifications and licensing that will help you make your way in these sectors.

Fleets of vans, taxis, buses, hire cars, cranes and other forms of transport, together with private motorists, make up the more than 34 million licensed vehicles filling the roads of the UK. Road transport/driving and ‘logistics’ (the movement of freight) play a major role in the UK and global economy.

T

VEHICLE LICENSING CATEGORIES Although there are several others, the basic vehicle licence categories are: • A – motor cycle • B – motor car • B+E – motor car and trailer • C – lorries over 3,500 kg with a trailer up to 750 kg • C1 – lorries between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg with trailer up to 750 kg • C+E – lorries over 3,500 kg with a trailer over 750 kg • D – PCV with more than eight seats and trailer up to 750 kg • D+E – as D, with a trailer over 750 kg • D1 – PCV with 9–16 seats, with or without trailer up to 750 kg • D1+E – as D1, with a trailer over 750 kg.

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Logistics is often described in terms of the method of goods transportation (i.e. road, sea, air or rail), however large logistics companies use all types of transport within a variety of industries. It is still very much the case, though, that road freight transport makes up the majority of the market: in the UK, it is the main mode in use and, indeed, is on the increase. The industry is heavily reliant on subcontractors and smaller haulage firms, and therefore needs extensive, well‐structured and continuing training to recruit and retain drivers.

Get qualified as a driver Road freight transport driving LGV (C) licence holders (see panel titled ‘Vehicle licensing categories’) require a current clean B (motor car) licence, and a minimum age of 21 (although they may be any age in the Services). Some insurers may insist that those driving certain loads (e.g. hazardous chemicals) are over 30.

Employers and trainers look for ability in reading, writing and maths, and require an aptitude test. Everyone is required to take a medical exam, including eyesight and colour blindness tests.

The LGV Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) CPC training is continuing professional development that carries on throughout a professional lorry driver’s career. All professional lorry drivers are now required to hold a Driver CPC in addition to their vocational driving licence. This is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of professional LGV drivers throughout their working life. You must get the Driver CPC initial qualification if you’re new to professional driving and want to drive a lorry. When you qualify you’ll get the new

Driver Qualification Card (DQC). You must have this with you whenever you’re driving professionally.

There are two parts to the legislation: 1. the initial qualification, which must be achieved by new LGV drivers along with their vocational licence to enable them to use their licence professionally 2. periodic training, which involves all professional drivers undertaking 35 hours of training every five years.

New LGV drivers have to pass an initial Driver CPC qualification before being able to drive professionally. This can be taken at the same time as the vocational driving test.

Existing professional lorry drivers are deemed to hold Driver CPC by ‘acquired rights’. However, they must complete their periodic training within five years of the introduction of Driver CPC, which means LGV licence holders should have done this by 9 September 2014. You won’t get a DQC if you have your Driver CPC through ‘acquired rights’ until you’ve done 35 hours of periodic training. Your driving licence is proof of your Driver CPC until you’ve done this. You’ll get your DQC when you’ve completed either: ● your initial qualification ● your 35 hours of periodic training if you have a Great Britain photocard licence.

Passenger transport: coach and bus driving There are no formal academic entry requirements to become a coach driver, although employers expect basic levels of literacy and numeracy. Bus drivers, however, need to have a PCV licence, also known as a category D licence, as well their PCV Driver CPC (see below). To drive for a commercial operation, coach drivers will also need a PCV Driver CPC. Adult entry is common, and drivers in the Forces with a D licence must

Hit the road!

convert to civilian standards and practices.

To train for this licence, a full UK driving licence is required. Drivers cannot train for the PCV licence and Driver CPC until they are at least 18. However, PCV drivers must usually wait until the age of 21 to be allowed to drive on major bus or coach routes. Many companies give entrants PCV and Driver CPC training while paying them a trainee wage, although it is also possible to train for the licence and Driver CPC independently.

The PCV Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) As discussed in relation to lorry drivers above, all professional PCV drivers are also required to hold a Driver CPC in addition to their vocational (D or D1) driving licence.

You must get the Driver CPC initial qualification if you’re new to professional driving and want to drive a bus or coach.

When you qualify you’ll get the new Driver Qualification Card (DQC). You must have this with you whenever you’re driving professionally.

Again, there are two parts to the legislation: 1. the initial qualification, which must be achieved by new PCV drivers along with their vocational licence to enable them to use their licence professionally 2. periodic training, which involves all professional drivers undertaking 35 hours of training every five years.

New PCV drivers will have to pass an initial Driver CPC qualification before being able to drive professionally. This can be taken at the same time as the vocational

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A TRANSPORT MANAGER? The following personal qualities and skills are valued in people working in this field: • core technology skills – PC literacy – communications – machinery – warehousing – warehouse management – analysis • people skills – problem solving – leadership – communication – team building – decision making.

NEW DIRECTIONS •

•

E-commerce has started to change the logistics of goods’ sale and delivery, and has created new demands for customer service skills among drivers.

Information technology has revolutionised the way in which vehicles and loads can be planned and monitored.

driving test. Driver CPC came into force across all EU member states in September 2008 for commercial PCV drivers.

Existing professional PCV drivers are deemed to hold Driver CPC by ‘acquired rights’. However, they must complete their periodic training within five years of the introduction of Driver CPC, which means that PCV licence holders should have done this by 9 September 2013. Again, you won’t get a DQC if you have your Driver CPC through ‘acquired rights’ until you’ve done 35 hours of periodic training. Your driving licence is proof of your Driver CPC until you’ve done this. As for LGV driving, you’ll get your DQC when you’ve completed either: ● your initial qualification ● your 35 hours of periodic training if you have a Great Britain photocard licence.

Van driving A number of people drive vans either full‐ time or as part of another job. Those driving vans over 3.5 tonnes need a C Licence and those driving vans over 7.5 tonnes require a C1 Licence. For smaller vans, only a B Licence is required. The minimum age for driving ‘light commercial vehicles’ is 18, although some insurers insist on 21. Some employers prefer people aged 25 with experience and a good driving record.

Chauffeurs Driving, maintaining and cleaning high‐ powered cars, together with a B Licence, are the basic requirements for this employment. Chauffeurs should have several years’ driving experience with a clean record. Membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and some knowledge of defensive driving techniques could be advantageous.

Taxi drivers and private hire Taxi drivers must hold a full, clean B Licence. They need good local area knowledge and may require a test. They are licensed by their local authority, or the Public Carriage Office in London, and this special licence can be held only by people over 21 who have passed a medical.

Carriage of dangerous goods Every company involved in the transportation of dangerous goods must have a Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA), who must pass the necessary courses to become qualified in: ● basic dangerous goods transport ● safe transport of dangerous goods in small packages ● completing and checking dangerous goods transport documents ● safe loading of dangerous goods vehicles and containers.

Transport and driving skills gained in the Services Every unit has its Motor Transport Officer who runs a fleet of vehicles and drivers.

Transport units have many more managers and drivers, as the total unit holding is split into fleets of all sizes and descriptions. Since the Services are usually concerned with mobility in their activities, transport features heavily in all that they do. The Defence School of Transport (DST) takes students from all three Services on a huge range of courses. Programmes emphasise vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, so that every student on a major course leaves with a qualification. For resettlement, training in transport management and driving can be accessed through the Career Transition Partnership. If you are a Service driver who already holds a C or C+E Licence (see the box titled ‘Vehicle licensing categories’) you may need to convert to civilian standards and practices.

The CPC and Armed Forces drivers Because those driving as part of their job in the Armed Forces are exempt from CPC requirements while serving (Driver CPC does not form part of MoD LGV training), those leaving the Forces with an LGV licence issued after September 2009 will need to pass the initial seven‐hour core module Driver CPC qualification in order to obtain their Drivers’ Qualification Card, which will allow them to drive legally in a civilian capacity. They will then have five years in which to complete the required 35 hours of periodic training. Those Forces leavers who gained their licence before these dates will have ‘acquired rights’, as stated above, and will therefore need only to complete the 35 hours’ periodic training within five years (which means this should have been done by 9 September 2014).

For more information, please visit the gov.uk website (see ‘Key contacts’).

Get qualified as a transport manager Freight logistics companies fall into two groups: those that manage their own distribution system and those that manage it on behalf of another company; the latter organisations are referred to as third‐party logistics (3PL). According to Skills for Logistics (the Sector Skills Council for the UK’s freight logistics industries), more than 60% of UK freight is carried out for ‘hire and reward’ (i.e. 3PL) on behalf of another company.

There are five main routes into transport management.

1. Graduate training entrants join management‐training programmes run by employers. Degrees may be in transport and logistics, or in more general qualifications.

March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

43

Hit the road!

2. Postgraduate entry applicants will have an MSc in logistics or supply chain management, or an MBA in an appropriate discipline.

3. Graduates with management experience may look for a career change into transport and logistics, and will need to gain the necessary knowledge.

4. Service leavers with A‐levels may move into management through on‐the‐job experience, while also studying for professional exams.

5. Professional qualifications, which must reflect the needs of the profession and employers, enable the translation of Service skills into their civilian equivalents.

Freight transport vocational qualifications are available as national and Scottish vocational qualifications, and as apprenticeships.

CPC for transport managers The CPC (see above) is a suitable first‐level qualification for those wanting to pursue a career in transport management and fleet operation in the road freight industry – whether self‐employed or as an employee of a larger organisation – and provides a good basis from which to progress to professional qualifications. Those operating or managing goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW require an Operator CPC, also known as the

44 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Transport Manager’s CPC (this is a separate qualification from the Driver CPC discussed above, so anyone holding an Operator CPC who still drives professionally as part of their job will also need to hold a Driver CPC). Those wishing to obtain a standard licence must hold the relevant Certificate of Professional Competence in Road Haulage (CPC) qualification. A Standard Operator’s Licence is required for ‘hire and reward’ operations and a Restricted Operator’s Licence for own account.

CILT(UK) qualifications The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT(UK)) offers a number of formal qualifications at all levels (because they are modular, most can be studied as stand‐alone units). For example: ● level 2 Certificate – for new employees or students; provides a broad understanding of logistics and transport ● level 3 Certificate – designed to provide a solid foundation for a career within the transport, logistics and supply chain sectors; aims to equip existing and potential supervisors and first‐line managers with a complete set of management skills.

You can find full details of all CILT(UK) qualifications at the different levels on its website (see ‘Key contacts’).

Finding employment Prospects for employment are good.

Industry insiders point out that the UK freight transport sector is heading for a massive shortfall in personnel over the next few years. It is currently 45,000 drivers short and the prediction is that this number will escalate to 180,000 in just five years. With this in mind, a number of training companies are focusing on helping Service leavers prepare to enter the industry.

KEY CONTACTS Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK, Tel: 01536 740100 Website: www.ciltuk.org.uk Twitter: @ciltuk People 1st, Tel: 01895 817000 email: info@people1st.co.uk Website: www.people1st.co.uk Twitter: @p1stgroup Skills for Logistics, Tel: 01908 313360 email: info@skillsforlogistics.org Website: www.skillsforlogistics.org Twitter: @SfL_SSC For more information on obtaining your Driver CPC, see www.gov.uk (in the ‘Driving and transport’ section) For further information, see www.gov.uk

300

EX-MILITARY & RESERVIST LGV DRIVERS WANTED

No Commercial LGV Experience – No Problem.

Pertemps Driving is recruiting 300+ ex-Armed Forces & Reservist LGV drivers to join our professional driving team at 85 locations throughout the UK. We offer a competitive package – our LGV C+E drivers earn between £25-30kpa on average, along with good benefits, Periodic CPC modules as well as opportunities to obtain free licence upgrades.

Pertemps Driving provides FREE 1 or 2 day Commercial LGV C and C + E Familiarisation Training for Service Leavers & Reserves that gives civilian LGV driving experience and a guaranteed LGV job.

We offer permanent, flexible and temporary employment – to best suit you - and have hundreds of LGV vacancies throughout the UK including; O O O O O O

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O O O O O

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Free LGV training and

a guaranteed job

Pertemps Driving Division is stepping up its efforts to recruit more Reservists and ex-military drivers with the offer of free training and guaranteed work.

The recruitment agency recently signed the Military Corporate Covenant to further strengthen its relationship with the Reserves.

This will help bring greater employment opportunities to the attention of Service leavers and Reservists within the Armed Forces, in addition to training that will ensure they are ‘job ready’.

The agreement was signed in Peterborough, in the presence of Major John Mayo of the Civil Integration Team, and his commanding officer, Brigadier GHFS Nickerson.

Pertemps Driving Division is part of the Pertemps Network Group, a £700 million-turnover business and the UK’s largest independently owned recruitment agency. There’s never been a better time to become a commercial driver – if you have a military LGV licence, Pertemps will give you free training on an LGV vehicle, converting your skills to civilian equivalents. Current salaries are between £25k and £30k.

Reservists typically work for the Armed Forces a maximum of two days a week and are therefore in need of flexible work. They are ideal for many Pertemps clients who are in search of drivers towards the later end of the week when business tends to peak.

Because of their flexibility and availability, Pertemps Driving is aiming to develop close links with Reservists. Working initially with the Royal Logistics Corps and Mechanised Transport Divisions, the Pertemps LGV Driving Academy is undergoing a trial period of extra training endeavouring to ‘commercialise’ military-trained LGV drivers in the East Midlands, allowing Reservists to take on commercial work around their formal Reservist duties.

Free training!

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) estimates that the UK logistics industry is currently falling 24,000 LGV drivers short of demand. With the DVLA reporting a further 48,000 LGV drivers approaching retirement age, it is likely that the driver shortage will be with us for some time yet.

Pertemps Driving has entered into a partnership with the British Armed Forces to recruit qualified LGV drivers as they exit military service or take up Reservist duties, and to support their transition into a civilian LGV driving career.

To date, many ex-MoD LGV drivers have found it difficult to make the transition from military LGV driving to a civilian LGV career on leaving the British Armed Forces. With this in mind, Pertemps Driving has designed a Career Transition Pathway to assist ex-military drivers in overcoming some the challenges previously encountered. As part of this, Pertemps aims to provide each LGV driver with commercial C&E familiarisation training.

Pertemps Driving has designed a Commercial C+E Familiarisation Course. Completion of this course guarantees an LGV job offer from Pertemps Driving. This approved training takes place over one or two days (depending on existing C+E proficiency) and runs from Pertemps’ LGV Driving Academy at Crick, Northamptonshire.

This intensive skills training ensures that all military drivers undergo familiarisation on a commercially configured C+E rig, with particular emphasis on the key differences between military and civilian LGV driving techniques. Successful completion of the Pertemps Commercial LGV C+E Familiarisation Course guarantees an LGV job with Pertemps Driving.

Note: All drivers must hold a full C+E entitlement, D-CPC and digital tachograph.

Get in touch Tel: 07442 495536 or 07767 118948 email: jason.richards@pertemps.co.uk or paul.hart@pertemps.co.uk See the advertisement on page 45

Pertemps ertemps is an equal opportunities employer

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

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47

Maximise your resettlement training

Maximise your resettlement training

Your time in the Forces is likely to have been an all-consuming career experience. Despite that, you may yet have many years ahead of you in the workplace, which means it’s important to make the most of the resettlement options open to you.

This five-step guide will help you to plan … t’s likely that your last few weeks in the Forces will be frantic, and in all the changes you may overlook planning for a smooth transition into a civilian career and the rest of your life. But setting aside time before you leave and looking at all your resettlement options will provide the solid foundation you need to build your new career.

I

Step 1: Plan, research and seek advice

48

Ensure that you use your Standard Learning Credit (SLC) and the Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) to build skills well in advance.

Then research your career opportunities and entry requirements online using the computers provided in resource rooms within the Career Transition Partnership’s (CTP) Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) and/or your local library. Talk to your Career or Employment Consultant about what’s available in your area. The CTP runs three‐ day (or shorter) workshops at its RRCs. The Career Transition Workshop (CTW), for example, leads you through civilian employment and teaches all‐important skills such as writing a CV, applying for jobs, and interview techniques. The CTP also offers one‐to‐one career counselling.

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Step 2: Find out about financial support Check whether you are eligible for: Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT) (see box for full details); an Individual Resettlement Training Costs (IRTC) grant; and travel and subsistence support.

Depending on how long you have been in the Forces, you may be entitled to between four and seven weeks’ resettlement time.

Your Service Resettlement Adviser can help here.

the area in which you wish to resettle value your chosen qualification? Are there other qualifications that will equip you for the same job? Check this out before you commit.

GRT OPTIONS •

Step 3: Consider course options Ideally (using SLC and ELC), undertake any major learning that leads to employment before your resettlement time starts. Then use your last few weeks to take courses or finish qualifications that will attract civilian employers. You should also consider courses that help to update your skills and aptitudes, or take training that results in qualifications for a specific job. Many skills, such as computing and driving, are now an everyday part of working life. If you are thinking about becoming self‐employed, there are courses and loans to help you do this, too.

•

•

Step 4: Do a self-audit ●

●

Look at the qualifications, skills and experience you already have and those required for any course you might consider. Can you build on them to overcome any skills gaps?

You may already have a level of learning and/or experience that will count towards a qualification. But do you need a pre‐course course? Do employers in

•

Training at the CTP’s Resettlement Training Centre, Aldershot, and at some RRCs: the CTP offers two types of training – contractfunded courses, provided by the MoD, and non-contract-funded courses. Contract-funded courses effectively cost 5% of your IRTC grant for each day you attend, so this will ‘buy’ you 20 days. (You could also attend other contractfunded courses on a standby basis.) The cost of non-contract-funded training is paid from grants available to you. This can be taken any time in the last two years before discharge, but is usually taken in the final nine months.

All CTP services (including training) are available for two years after discharge (training on a standby basis).

Civilian training attachment: this is formal training at a civilian college, company or training establishment. It is eligible for IRTC funding and usually takes place in the last nine months of service.

Civilian work attachment: this is attachment to a company for on-the-job training and work experience, and can take place any time in the last two years of service. It is not eligible for IRTC funding, but travel and subsistence may be payable.

Individual resettlement preparation: this time can be used for your own resettlement activities, although it isn’t IRTC funded. It can be taken any time in the last two years of service and GRT travel warrants will be given.

Maximise your resettlement training

●

Consider all the details of the course.

Does the method of delivery – classes, private study, distance or supported open learning, the internet – suit your learning style? How much time do you have available for study? What access do you have to the internet or other learning tools? If you are staying in accommodation while attending this course, is there evening access to study rooms? Is there a requirement for out‐ of‐hours work? Is this training or qualification really going to help you

CHECKLIST: CHOOSING YOUR TRAINING PROVIDER •

•

•

•

Does the training provider have a good reputation? Does your consultant know of them? What’s the opinion of former students?

Do any relevant institutes and associations have advice and information?

Are formal qualifications or membership to institutions available from the provider, and are these valued? Who accredits these qualifications?

Is there an introductory seminar? What can you find out about the quality of instruction?

What are the class sizes? What’s the quality of the equipment and facilities?

How long is the course? How much study is class-based and how much is self-study? Is there any pre-course self-study?

become employed in the sector and at the level you want? How do you get the course signed off by your resettlement officer? What paperwork is required?

Researching and considering the answers to these questions will help you to make the most of the resettlement training opportunities available to you.

Additionally, you can seek advice through the CTP, so do contact your Career Consultant or local Regional Employment and Training Manager (RETM; RETMs are located at RRCs). These people work closely with employers and training providers in your region and will know exactly what’s available. The Course Booking & Information Centre (CBIC) can give general advice on course content, along with making bookings and taking payments. Further information and contact details can be found at www.ctp.org.uk

financial implications include the following. ● Accommodation: is the cost of this included in the course? ● Location: what are the travelling costs? ● Study materials: will you need to buy course materials or books?

Ensure that you use your SLC entitlement in the years leading up to resettlement, and ELC while serving, during resettlement and in the ten years after you leave, as well as IRTC grant, accommodation and travel entitlements. Be aware that you can now use either SLC or ELC under certain circumstances (your SRA will be able to advise), and remember that you may receive free tuition fees for your first level 3 qualification, foundation degree or undergraduate degree for ten years after you leave the Forces.

Step 5: Think about costs

Having been in the Forces, you will be used to planning, seeking the advice of others, researching, analysing data, strategising, seeing the whole picture, understanding the minutiae, then using a calm and focused approach to carry out the task.

Resettlement is no different. Use these skills as you approach this transition, and carry them through into your training, learning and, ultimately, new career.

You may need to invest your own money in these courses or qualifications, so when considering the cost it may be helpful to remember that this investment isn’t just about the course – it’s about your future in a civilian environment. Be aware that exam or certification fees may be additional to course fees, so if you are budgeting you will need to take account of this. Other

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Factfile

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FACTFILE

This summary of personal development and resettlement information should be used as guidance and direction to the appropriate Service or civilian authority.

Personal Development and Education Opportunities What is Personal Development (PD)?

PD is about self-improvement and satisfaction. It is open to everyone and can be done for one or many of the following reasons: l l l

l l l

to improve knowledge for personal interest to be introduced to new ideas or skills to broaden horizons

to enhance in-Service career prospects to gain qualifications to prepare for a second career.

PD won’t just happen. You must take steps to find out what’s available and decide what you want to do. Use the flow chart below as a guide.

A PD Route Map Individual talks to line manager about developing a realistic plan and maintaining a PD record (PDR)

Individual decides:

Other sources of information include:

l l l

l l l l

subject to be studied and qualification (if any) level of study (basic/key skills, GCSE, S/NVQ, A-level, degree, postgraduate) mode of study (e.g. short courses, distance learning)

unit education or training officer in-Service publications in-Service education centre local library or civilian college

l l l l

the internet Quest magazine friends and family Quest website: www.questonline.co.uk

Local colleges or training providers

Distance/open learning

PD can mean anything from career courses to sports and adventurous training courses.

See for other options for Service personnel

A range of further education (16+) and higher education (degree and above) courses are available. Ask your education/training officer or local college/library for a brochure

College attendance is not necessarily required. Flexible study can be undertaken by correspondence, or using the internet and tutorial support is usually available

Ó

In-Service

eLearning – The Defence Learning Portal (DLP)

Ó

Distance Learning

Ó

Grants and funding are available for most forms of PD. See ‘Sources of advice and finance’ for details.

Course complete? Look for your next learning!

Also open to MoD Civilian Personnel

Many Service people study with the Open University each year. It has hundreds of courses, not just degrees, and offers a modular/building block approach to study. Special arrangements exist for Forces people with regard to summer schools, credit transfer and those serving abroad. For more information, visit the OU website www.open.ac.uk or Tel: 0845 300 6090 for a brochure.

There is now a huge amount of high-quality learning material freely available online to Armed Forces and Civil Service personnel, accessible either over the World Wide Web or via the Defence Intranet.

The Defence Learning Portal (DLP) is the MOD's central distance learning resource, providing ‘one stop’ access to a wide range of eLearning, courses, wikis, forums and other materials across a large number of key topics including: IT skills including ECDL, core competencies, Health and Safety, languages and business skills. Readily available over the Defence Intranet, if you already have a DLP account you can also gain access via the internet at www.dlp.mod.uk

52

You may prefer to attend a part-time class, or short course, at a local college. Your education officer may have this information to hand and most colleges publish a brochure. Some people prefer to study in this more structured environment. You must gain authority from your unit to attend and it is worth seeking unit guidance before making any financial commitment. You may also be able to claim the SLC and ELC. In addition, many in-Service education centres run classes specifically for Forces people and families, especially overseas. Some are free and most are discounted for families.

Contact your education/training officer for details.

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Everyone should keep their own PDR in which they should record educational plus other PD achievements, appraisals and courses. It encourages people to assess and evaluate what they are doing, what they have learned, and where they are going in terms of career and personal development. Ask your education/training officer where you can get your copy.

Key:

Ó

College Courses

Ó

Personal Development Record (PDR)

Ó

Distance learning allows you to study at your own pace, no matter where you are. A range of schemes and courses are available but it requires discipline to organise your study time. Most colleges readily offer help and advice to their students. The Standard Learning Credit (SLC) and Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) can be used for many of these courses but certain conditions may apply (see Sources of advice and finance).

Service personnel

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Enhanced Learning Credits

Ó

The SLC scheme allows personnel to obtain financial assistance for learning costs. You are able to claim 80% of your course fees, up to a maximum of £175 per financial year. To qualify for SLC funding, the course of study must lead to a nationally recognised qualification, have substantial developmental value and directly benefit the Service.

The ELC scheme provides financial support in the form of a single up-front payment of up to £2,000 per annum (depending on length of Service) in each of a maximum of three separate financial years.

The scheme is based on the principle that individuals will make a personal contribution towards the cost of their learning. The ELC contribution may be up to 80% of the gross course value. ELC funding is available only for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) or Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) (England and Wales), at level 6 or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) or, if pursued overseas, an approved international equivalent qualification. For full details visit www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service UCAS deals with applications for first degree and similar standard courses at over 250 universities and colleges in the UK. Remember that you no longer need A-levels to go to university – vocational A-levels/NVQs and access courses now qualify students as well.

If you are interested in entering higher education, call the UCAS hotline on Tel: 0871 468 0468 or visit www.ucas.com

University Short Courses

Ó

Standard Learning Credits

Ó

Sources of Advice and Finance

The University Short Course Programme (USCP) exists to enhance the general educational development of Service personnel through providing short courses at a range of universities in topics such as leadership and management, regional and strategic studies, and languages. Course fees and accommodation costs are funded by the Services.

Further/Higher Education (FE/HE) Access

Ó

The IRTC grant exists to help towards the cost of resettlement training through the CTP or external training providers. The IRTC grant may not be used for Civilian Work Attachments but may be used in concert with a Learning Credit – Standard (SLC) or Enhanced (ELC) – for any course that is completed prior to the Service Leaver leaving the Service and subject to the relevant criteria of either scheme. (See JSP 898 Part 4 – Chapter 3 for ELC and Chapter 4 for SLC.)

The Ministry Of Defence and the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills offer eligible Service Leavers free FE/HE support for a first level 3 or Foundation Degree qualification. To be eligible, Service Leavers must have registered for the ELC scheme while in Service, complete a minimum of four years’ productive service, complete a minimum of four years’ ELC scheme membership, thus qualifying for the initial lower-tier support, or eight years’ membership, qualifying for the higher-level support, and take up the offer of free support within ten years of leaving Service.

Local Education Authority (LEA) grants and low-interest student loans are available for anyone entering full-time education. They are means tested in that what you receive depends on your income and that of your family. If you are entering full-time education you should apply for one, even if you do not think you are eligible, otherwise you may not qualify for other benefits. Contact your LEA for details.

Professional and Career Development Loans These are designed to help people change direction or increase their skills by providing a deferred repayment loan of between £300 and £10,000 to cover up to 80% of tuition fees for a vocational course of up to two years, plus a further year's work experience if appropriate. Courses can be full-time or part-time, or involve open or distance learning, and people who have been out of work for three months can apply to have all their course fees covered.

Resettlement Grant (RG)

Ó

The low-interest loan is arranged through one of four high-street banks, and certain conditions and criteria apply. Find out which banks offer the loan and order an application pack by calling the National Careers Service on Tel: 0800 100 900.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Ó

The RG is paid only if there are no other terminal benefits due (so, if someone is medically discharged after the RG trigger point, RG is not paid as other benefits become due). The amount payable depends on length of Service and on which pension type the SL is on. The current rate for eligible Service Leavers who are on the most recent pension scheme is £9,825. It can be as much as £17,824 on previous pension schemes.

learndirect learndirect is a free government helpline on which qualified advisers provide information on all aspects of learning, from UK-wide learning opportunities, to career guidance and sources of finance, and other national and local organisations that can help.

It is open between 8am and 9pm Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays, and from 10am to 6pm on Sundays. The helpline adviser can answer questions on any aspect of learning.

The website address is www.learndirect.co.uk The freephone number is Tel: 0800 101901.

Professional and Career Development Loans Finding a job Jobcentre Plus has one of Britain’s largest databases of job vacancies, which is updated constantly. The database also lets you search for training, career information, voluntary work and childcare providers across the UK. You can search the database via Universal Jobmatch ( www.gov.uk – search for ‘jobs’) or by using the Job Point in your local Jobcentre.

When you find a job you are interested in, either using the Jobcentre Plus job search or at the Job Point in your local Jobcentre, Jobcentre advisers will tell you how to apply, send you an application form and may even contact the employer (so have your address, National Insurance number, date of birth and the job reference number to hand).

Benefits If you’re unsure which benefits you can get, you can check online using the Gov.uk ‘Benefits adviser’ pages ( www.gov.uk – search for ‘benefits adviser’).

To find out more about Jobseeker’s Allowance, who can get it and how to claim online, go to the Gov.uk ‘Jobseeker’s Allowance’ pages ( www.gov.uk – search for ‘Jobseeker’s Allowance’).

You can also claim by phone by calling Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688. There’s a Welshlanguage line on 0800 012 1888, and a textphone on 0800 023 4888 if you find it hard to speak or hear clearly. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am–6pm.

Armed Forces Champions

Armed Forces Champions have been established in Jobcentre Plus districts throughout the country to ensure that the concerns of Service personnel and their families are addressed.

Working with local bases and Families Federations, the role of the Champions is to raise awareness of the support available through Jobcentre Plus, such as information on the local labour market and how to claim benefits. (Any problems accessing Jobcentre Plus services can be fed through to local Champions via Unit Admin Offices.)

Key: 54

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Ó

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) provides compensation for any injury, illness or death that is predominantly caused by service on or after 6 April 2005. The War Pension Scheme (WPS) compensates for any injury, illness or death that occurred up to this date. All current and former members of the UK Armed Forces, including Reservists, may submit a claim for compensation.

For advice and guidance, call the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency’s free helpline on 0800 169 22 77 (UK only), +44 1253 866 043 (overseas). Alternatively, you can visit: www.gov.uk/pensionsand-compensation-for-veterans or www.veterans-uk.info

Ó

Individual Resettlement Training Cost (IRTC)

Ó

Further details are available from education/learning centres or search in DINs.

Service personnel

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Resettlement: Preparation for leaving the Forces Official provider of career guidance, skills training and job finding assistance to leavers of the Armed Forces The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is a partnering agreement between the MoD and Right Management to provide 3rd Line tri-service resettlement support. This consists of career transition services, training and job finding support for leavers of the Armed Forces. The Regular Forces Employment Association Ltd (RFEA) and Officers’ Association (see overleaf) are integral parts of the CTP and lead on the provision of job opportunities and employment support.

This provision is delivered from ten Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) in the UK and Germany, and the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) in Aldershot. The CTP provides a number of workshops, seminars, one-to-one career advice, and a range of in-house resettlement training for entitled Service leavers from up to two years before discharge. The job finding service is delivered by 24 Employment Consultants based nationwide and an online job search website called RightJob, which contains vacancies specifically for leavers of the Armed Forces from employers who seek their skills and experience.

Contact the CTP on 020 7469 6661 or visit the website at www.ctp.org.uk

Resettlement Services

A Service Leaver’s route map

1st LINE The first stage in your resettlement process is with 1st Line, who offer information and administrative support. They are: • RN – Education & Resettlement Officers (ERO) • Army – Unit Resettlement Officers (URO) • RAF – Resettlement & Education Co-ordinators (REC).

Service Leaver completed at least 4 years’ Service: registers with Career Transition Partnership (CTP)

Employment Support Programme

2nd LINE The principal task of 2nd Line is to provide advice and guidance on the resettlement package that will best suit the individual Service Leaver. For those entitled to CTP this will normally be a referral to a CTP consultant and/or enrolment on a CTW, both of which will require the Service Leaver to be registered for CTP services. 2nd Line are:

No Served over 6 years?

• Yes

• Attends Career Transition Workshop (CTW) or equivalent Career Consultant led Employment Consultant led

• Prepares PRP with Consultant • Receives regional employment advice

Prepare Personal Resettlement Plan (PRP) with Career Consultant

Develops, reviews and actions PRP:

Attends: • further CTP workshops • training at RTC/RRC • civilian training attachment • external training • Financial/Housing briefings

• further advice on: • career options • self-employment • job finding • training • attachments • research activities • civilian work attachments

Receives advice on or notification of matched job opportunities

Consultant supports and monitors progress

Makes job applications

Secures employment

CTP support for up to 2 years after discharge; RFEA/OA job finding support until retirement

56

SHADED ELEMENTS ALSO AVAILABLE TO THOSE WITH 4–6 YEARS’ SERVICE

•

RN – Naval Resettlement Information Officers (NRIO), located at Base Learning Centres; for medical discharges the RN has a single 2nd Line point of contact referred to as NRIO (Medical) based in the Institute of Naval Medicine, Gosport Army – Individual Education and Resettlement Officers (IERO) and AGC(ETS) Officers are located at Army Education Centres (AEC) and Theatre Education Centres (TEC); AGC(ETS) Officers may deliver 2nd Line resettlement advice when deployed on operations and occasionally when IERO are unavailable RAF – Each Regional Resettlement Adviser (RRA) is allocated a group of RAF stations to visit on a regular programmed basis.

3rd LINE Resettlement support at 3rd Line is provided by the CTP as outlined at the top of this page and in more detail on its website at www.ctp.org.uk

Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) Career Transition Workshops (CTW), career counselling and other CTP workshops, briefings and events usually take place at one of the ten Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) in the UK and Germany. Further information can be obtained from any of the RRCs listed below.

Regional Resettlement Centre Aldergrove Regional Resettlement Centre Aldershot Regional Resettlement Centre Catterick Regional Resettlement Centre Cottesmore Regional Resettlement Centre Herford Regional Resettlement Centre Northolt Regional Resettlement Centre Plymouth Regional Resettlement Centre Portsmouth Regional Resettlement Centre Rosyth Regional Resettlement Centre Tidworth

Tel: 02894 421639 Tel: 01252 348336/339 Tel: 01748 872930 Tel: 01572 812241 (ext 7716) Tel: 0049 5221 9953388 Tel: 020 8842 6063/6064 Tel: 01752 553376 Tel: 02392 724130 Tel: 01383 858230 Tel: 01980 650689

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Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT) GRT is the length of time that a Service Leaver is eligible to spend on resettlement activities, including workshops, training courses, civilian work attachments or individual resettlement provision.

Entitlement All Service Leavers, other than those discharged as Early Service Leavers, are entitled to receive the resettlement support detailed in the table below.

Principle Longer service is rewarded with entitlement to increased resettlement time. All Medically Discharged Service Leavers automatically qualify for the maximum entitlement. Entitlement includes grants, allowances, travel warrants, resettlement leave, consultancy, transition workshops and subsidised training.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Years’ Service

Normal Discharge

<1 1+ 4+ 6+ 8+ 12+ 16+

CTP No No ESP FRP FRP FRP FRP

Medical Discharge(2)

GRT(1) 0 0 0 20 25 30 35

IRTC No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

CTP FRP FRP FRP FRP FRP FRP FRP

GRT(1) 10 30 30 30 30 30 35

IRTC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Notes 1. Amount of GRT is in working days.

2. This includes Reservists who are Medically Discharged due to injuries sustained during operational commitments.

ESP: Employment Support Programme FRP: Full Resettlement Programme

Transition services and entitlements Outflow

<4 Years’ service or administratively discharged

• • • •

Employment Support Programme >4<6 Years’ Service

• • • • •

Vulnerability Assessment Resettlement Brief Resettlement Interview Gateway to 3rd Sector: – Housing – Finance – Social Benefits – Employment – Pensions – Health

•

• •

• • • •

Job-Finding Service ‘RightJob’ Access Consultant Interview Housing Brief Financial Aspects of Resettlement Brief Access (on a standby basis) to 50 Various Resettlement Training Centre Courses Post Discharge Consultant Support (up to 2 years) Employment Fairs and Events

Standard Learning Credits Enhanced Learning Credit Access to first FE/HE Qualification Resettlement Grant - Officers with 9 years service up to £14,686 - Other Ranks with 12 years service who are AFPS 75 up to £10302 - Officers (9 years) and Other Ranks (12 years) who are AFPS 05 up to £10302

Full Resettlement Programme >6 Years’ Service

• • • •

• • • • • • • •

IRTC Grant (£534) Resettlement Leave (up to 35 days) Career Transition Workshop (3 days) Other Workshops – Retirement Options – Future Employment Options – Self-Employment Awareness – Small Business Start-Up – CV Writing – Interview Skills Career Consultancy Travel Warrants (up to 7) ‘RightJob’ Access Financial Aspects of Resettlement Brief Housing Brief Access to 50 Various Resettlement Training Centre Courses Post Discharge Consultant Support (up to 2 years) Employment Fairs and Events

Duty Allowances for Resettlement Activities

58

Individual entitlements to allowances are found in JSP 752 and other single-Service regulations. If in doubt, Service leavers should ask their resettlement advisers or Unit HR for advice. As with other duty entitlements, payments made in the pursuance of resettlement are made only for ‘actuals’ and administered through Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) self-service menus. At all times, receipts must be retained and produced in the event that a Service Leaver is selected for audit. Service Leavers’ entitlement will depend upon the nature of their discharge

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

and the length of their Service (see Figure 1). When selecting a training provider to deliver resettlement services, Service Leavers should be aware that the MOD operates a ‘Local Training First’ policy.

Wherever possible, resettlement training should be undertaken local to (i.e. within 50 miles by road or 90 minutes by public transport) Service or home accommodation. Notwithstanding this, external training, including training undertaken overseas, that will incur

subsistence costs may be arranged through any training provider in the event that there is no available CTP inhouse training or training providers that can deliver an equivalent training outcome locally. All overseas training (see overleaf) must survive HQ scrutiny; and all accommodation, UK or otherwise, other than that offered under exceptional residential arrangements, must be booked through the Defence Hotel Reservation Service (DHRS). All residential accommodation offered by training providers must be pre-authorised by the Unit.

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Resettlement Training Training provided by the CTP

Overseas Resettlement Training

Skills training takes place at the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) in Aldershot and at a selection of RRCs. The RTC has bespoke workshops within its Building and Engineering Departments, and also offers Management and IT courses. Many of those on offer result in civilian-recognised qualifications.

To find out more about the wide range of courses available, and to search for dates and locations, visit our website at www.ctp.org.uk For all other enquiries, to check availability, or to make a booking or payment, contact our Course Booking & Information Centre (CBIC): Civilian: Tel: 02894 456 200 Military: Tel: 9491 56 200 Email: coursebookings@ctp.org.uk

Resettlement training should, wherever possible, be undertaken either in-house (given the value for money and quality assurance available on those courses) or locally in recognition of the local training first policy. Authorisation for overseas resettlement training can only be made by HQ SDE staff on a case-by-case basis and through the intelligent application of the following conditions.

•

The training outcome is not available under the local training first policy, either within the UK for those serving in UK or within their normal theatre of operations for those serving overseas.

•

The total costs of the training overseas to the MOD, including eligible subsistence allowances and travel costs, which will be claimed under current regulations, are less than those that would be incurred if undertaking the training in the UK, i.e. the value for money consideration.

•

SDE staff have reasonable assurance of the quality of the training and its recognition by UK employers.

Training provided by Preferred Suppliers The Preferred Suppliers List (PSL) identifies a range of local training providers offering some of the most common vocational training that Service Leavers undertake. In order to qualify for the PSL, the training organisation is obliged to demonstrate financial reliability, appropriate insurance cover, past performance, future plans, training facilities, accreditation levels and quality standards. The PSL is published at www.ctp.org.uk and is also held in each of the Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs).

Preferred Supplier status is subject to continuous evaluation, on each course by the Service Leaver, by the CTP and by annual review.

CTP Employment Events Our events can be of great benefit and provide an excellent opportunity to network with potential employers and discuss the job market in general, as well as within specific industry sectors. The main types that we hold are: • Employment Fairs – attended by a wide range of national and local employers, seeking the skills, quality and experience that Service Leavers have • Industry Awareness Days – focus on a particular industry sector and several employers will talk about career opportunities on offer • Company Presentations – these focus on one particular company, which is normally actively recruiting for a number of vacancies.

• Search for upcoming CTP events on our website at www.ctp.org.uk

The Officers’ Association (OA) Provides job finding support through three career consultants. It also offers lifelong access to job finding information, advice, guidance and support to all officers regardless of eligibility for the CTP programme. In addition, under its charitable status it offers the following: • advice and support to ex-officers and their dependants • access to a residential home in South Devon for ex-officers and widows, and an estate of bungalows in Hertfordshire for disabled ex-officers and their families.

OA Scotland offers benevolence services and employment support to ex-officers who are resident in Scotland or were members of a Scottish Regiment.

Tel: 0845 873 7140 Email: a.carrington@officersassociation.org.uk Website: www.officersassociation.org.uk

Tel: 0131 550 1575/1581 Email: em@oascotland.org.uk Website: www.oascotland.org.uk

The Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) Ltd The RFEA provides job finding support through a network of 24 employment consultants throughout the UK. It also provides lifelong access to job finding information, advice, guidance and support to people who are or were eligible for MOD resettlement through the CTP. In addition, under its charitable status this support is extended to all ex-Service people who have served for more than seven days, irrespective of eligibility, on a case-by-case basis, subject to certain criteria and at RFEA discretion.

Tel: 0845 873 7166 Email: AdminRFEA@ctp.org.uk Website: www.rfea.org.uk

Service Leaver Support Teams (SLSTs)

60

Can be found at Army UK divisional and district HQs and at some regional brigades. They provide Service leavers with information and help on a wide variety of subjects, including employment, housing, schooling, finance and other resettlement issues. They work in close cooperation with other agencies, including the RFEA, single-Service specialists and the CTP.

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

Any request for overseas training must arrive with SDE HQ staff at least eight weeks in advance of the intended departure date, to enable the necessary political clearances for successful applications to be made.

Employment Services & RightJob Employment support is provided by the RFEA, OA and OA Scotland Employment Consultants who are based across the UK. They are part of the CTP and their role is to provide job finding advice and support on a demand-led basis to CTP-registered Service leavers. They actively seek and develop suitable employment opportunities and can also provide one-to-one career advice and support.

RightJob Is the CTP’s online job finding service where registered Service Leavers can search and apply for any of the thousands of live vacancies on the jobs database. The site is accessed via the CTP website and the login required is normally issued during CTWs. Call the Central Employment Team for more information, on Tel: 0121 236 0058.

Useful CTP Contacts TO BOOK A CTP WORKSHOP OR BRIEFING… Call our central line ( 0203 162 4410 For booking your Career Transition Workshop (CTW) or any other workshop or briefing. (This is a not a premium rate number and you should only be charged at the normal national rate, dependent on the phone provider) Alternatively, if you are calling from a military line, contact the Regional Resettlement Centre (RRC) running the workshop which is normally the RRC that you are registered with for your resettlement. Contact details can be found on the first page of this Factfile section.

CALL OUR COURSE BOOKING & INFORMATION CENTRE (CBIC) Civilian: Tel: 02894 456 200 Military: Tel: 9491 56 200 or Email: coursebookings@ctp.org.uk

FOR RIGHTJOB ASSISTANCE… CALL OUR CENTRAL EMPLOYMENT TEAM (CET) Tel: 0121 236 0058 If you have forgotten your RightJob password, have been locked out of your account or require support using RightJob.

Future Horizons The Future Horizons Programme understands that leaving the Armed Forces is a key point in the lives of all Service leavers, and believes that everyone who has served, even for a short period of time, is entitled to support in transitioning from the military into civilian life. The programme will provide support and assistance to enable you to find suitable employment upon leaving the Armed Forces. Through its network of partners, it will link you in to the most appropriate level of support you need to help with the transition.

The Future Horizons Programme has been developed in response to the recognition and commitment from the MoD to improve resettlement provision to Early Service Leavers (ESLs). It is open to ESLs across all Services, regardless of how long you have served or the reasons you have for leaving. The programme has been designed and is delivered by the RFEA, The Forces Employment Charity.

To discuss any aspect of the Future Horizons Programme, please call Darren Bickerstaffe, Programme Manager, on ( 07428 705 770 or meet with a FHP assessor at the following locations: • ITC Catterick, Hook Company: ( 01748 831274 • ATC Pirbright, Sword Company: ( 01483 475526 • RRC Plymouth: ( 01752 553143 Follow Future Horizons on Facebook, and receive the latest news and updates from the programme.

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest .................................................

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Performance People are a niche consulting company: passionate about people & dedicated to people performance. As specialists in the areas of performance, learning, communication & change, we offer a powerful range of solutions & services with which to unlock people potential & maximise people performance. As ex-Service people ourselves, who are engaged as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on a number of Defence contracts, we have a true understanding of the military mindset, a great respect for the military ethos, and a real passion for helping military people get the very best from themselves. As an approved Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) Scheme provider our comprehensive range of coaching, mentoring & NLP qualifications & certifications, includes: • ILM L5 Certificate / Diploma Coaching & Mentoring • ILM L7 Certificate / Diploma Executive Coaching & Mentoring • NLP Practitioner (ABNLP) & NLP Practitioner Coach (ANLP) • NLP Master Practitioner (ABNLP) & NLP Master Practitioner Coach (ANLP) Any person, team or organisation interested in developing themselves or other people with coaching, mentoring or NLP is invited to contact Mark Woodhouse on 07976-821333 or email their enquiry to mark@performancepeople.org. We look forward to speaking soon and any opportunity of helping with your performance, learning & development.

RoninTM is trademarked within the UK K & EU and can only legally be used by Ronin South Africa

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Factfile

Tel: 0800 1958 066 www.gastectraining.co.uk

Sponsored by

Making the Transition Even if you have a job to go to on leaving the Armed Forces, you are still strongly advised to attend the CTP Career Transition Workshop (CTW), along with any other that you will find of benefit, such as CV Writing or Interview Techniques. The purpose of these workshops is to help you to recognise and assess your options and learn skills in order to approach the civilian workplace and market yourself to a future employer. These are skills that are important to develop for life, and not just for your next job. If you don’t go – you won’t know.

The Self-Marketing Approach is based on the application of well-established marketing concepts to the task of getting a new job. Marketing is about delivering products and services to meet customers needs. In this case, you are the product, the customer is your next employer. Your task is to persuade the customer that the range of benefits, which you bring, match his or her needs.

Throughout our lives we are faced with choices or options and as you prepare to leave the Services, you are potentially about to face some of your biggest ones yet. You can never start this preparation early enough, so plan your resettlement carefully and thoroughly. In order to commence a successful self-marketing campaign one of the first things you should do is to decide what it is you wish to achieve.

Define the product • • • • • • • • •

Identify as wide a range of your skills and experience as you can From these, you can choose which ones match what the employer wants Demonstrate your value to the employer List your successes Focus on skills and attitudes rather than tasks identify transferable skills Learn to think in terms of product (you) and customer (your next employer) Remember, customers buy benefits Define yourself in terms of unique selling propositions (USPs)

Prepare self-marketing literature Your CV should include: • a personal profile – your USP • major achievements – the benefits you brought to current and previous jobs • a focus on your transferable skills Your CV should avoid mentioning: • details of salary • references • any negative aspects of your career to date • clichés, jargon, abbreviations and untruths

Research the market • • • • • •

Decide on sectors, geographical areas etc.

Use directories, databases, internet etc.

Ask for information Use your personal network Use industry associations, chambers of commerce etc.

Attend jobfairs and conferences

Implement a marketing campaign Use a variety of approaches, including: • responding to advertisements • direct approaches by phone and letter • networking • employment agencies • develop a system and keep records of all activities • follow up approaches systematically • learn from your mistakes

Understand the world of work • • • • • •

What has changed since you joined the Services?

How do those changes affect you?

How do you effectively manage your own career?

What are the different patterns of work?

What do you want from a company?

How do you negotiate a salary package?

• • • • •

What are your interests?

What transferable skills do you have?

What training or qualifications have you done?

Can you identify what you have achieved so far?

Does all this help you decide what to do next?

• • • •

How do you establish a useful network?

How do you use networks to help you research?

How can networks help you into a job?

How can networks help with career development?

• • • • • •

Start early Create mutually supportive relationships Use these at all stages of career development, not just at time of job change Networks are useful information sources Successful people develop networks Use them to market yourself and your organisation

Identify your interests and skills

Proactive networking

Networking advice

The CTP can help you find the answers to these questions through attending workshops and one-to-one sessions with your Career Consultant. If you are not yet registered with the CTP, speak to your local Resettlement Officer or Service Resettlement Advisor for further advice.

Sell yourself on a face-to-face basis

62

• • • • • • • • • • •

Research the employer Prepare interview responses Dress appropriately Arrive early; impress everybody you meet Smile Avoid crossing arms and legs when sitting Maintain eye contact Answer questions honestly, but focus on the positive Manage the interview to match your benefits to the employer’s needs Prepare questions that you can ask the interviewer Seek feedback and learn from mistakes

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

‘Like’ the Career Transition Partnership page Follow @CTPinfo

For the most up-to-date information, please visit www.ctp.org.uk

Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

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The Forces have developed your skills.

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• Nurses • Doctors • Healthcare Assistants Whatever your choice, you will have a significant impact on the lives of people in our care. This is an environment where your initiative and energy will really matter, and where being the best is an expectation rather than an aim. We can promise you exceptional training, ongoing professional development, highly disciplinary teamwork and career prospects that fully match your ambitions.

Ready to discover more about joining the UK’s leading independent provider of care and education services when you leave the Forces? Then visit our website today.

jobs.priorygroup.com/quest

Forensic Accident Investigation Considering a new career?

Thought about accident investigation?

Want to know more?

For full information pack on the training course (£1665.75 plus VAT) contact us on

Investigation work includes in brief: Interviewing injured parties, visiting accident sites and gaining evidence in personal injury claims.

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Funding Available Approved by MOD in support of the ELC Scheme provider number 1712.

63 March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

Courses and events

Courses and events This guide includes the courses currently scheduled to run from April 2015 to June 2015 Additional courses may be scheduled by each Regional Resettlement Centre according to demand. A list of all courses scheduled for 2014 and 2015 is available from your nearest Regional Resettlement Centre. All the dates given should be confirmed with the relevant Regional Resettlement Centre. Dates are correct at time of going to press.

To book onto any CTP courses, workshops or events, please call the central bookings team on 0203 162 4410 Visit www.ctp.org.uk for further details

RRC Aldergrove 02894 421639 Military 9491 31639 rrcaldergrove@ctp.org.uk

RRC Catterick 01748 872930 Military 94731 2930 rrccatterick@ctp.org.uk

Employment Support Programme Wksp

Insight to Management Consultancy

20 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

14 May 2015

Housing 20 May 2015

START DATE

END DATE

START DATE

CTW Mixed Class

Business Start Up

20 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

18 May 2015

22 April 2015 20 May 2015 17 June 2015

FAR All Ranks 25 June 2015

25 June 2015

Housing 14 April 2015

14 April 2015

RRC Aldershot 01252 348336/339 Military 94222 3336/339 rrcaldershot@ctp.org.uk START DATE

END DATE

Business Start Up 23 April 2015 14 May 2015 25 June 2015

24 April 2015 15 May 2015 26 June 2015

CTW Junior Ranks 07 April 2015 21 April 2015 05 May 2015 19 May 2015 09 June 2015 23 June 2015

09 April 2015 23 April 2015 07 May 2015 21 May 2015 11 June 2015 25 June 2015

CTW Mixed Class 28 April 2015 30 April 2015 (Course location Brize Norton) 12 May 2015 14 May 2015 (Course location Brize Norton) 30 June 2015 02 July 2015 (Course location Brize Norton) 28 May 2015

CTW SNCO 14 April 2015 12 May 2015 16 June 2015

16 April 2015 14 May 2015 18 June 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 08 April 2015 08 June 2015

08 April 2015 08 June 2015

FAR All Ranks 15 April 2015 03 June 2015

CTW Junior Ranks 13 April 2015 21 April 2015 27 April 2015 05 May 2015 11 May 2015 18 May 2015 02 June 2015 08 June 2015 16 June 2015 22 June 2015 30 June 2015

15 April 2015 23 April 2015 29 April 2015 07 May 2015 13 May 2015 20 May 2015 04 June 2015 10 June 2015 18 June 2015 22 June 2015 02 July 2015

CTW Mixed Class 21 April 2015 23 April 2015 (Course location Preston) 05 May 2015 07 May 2015 (Course location York)

CTW Officer 12 May 2015

14 May 2015

CTW SNCO 14 April 2015 28 April 2015 19 May 2015 09 June 2015 23 June 2015

16 April 2015 30 April 2015 21 May 2015 11 June 2015 25 June 2015

CV Writing Module 13 April 2015 15 June 2015

13 April 2015 15 June 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 20 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

15 April 2015 03 June 2015

01 April 2015 09 June 2015

20 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

12 May 2015

020 8842 6063/6064 Military 95233 6063/6064 rrcnortholt@ctp.org.uk START DATE Business Start Up 29 June 2015

28 April 2015 27 May 2015 30 June 2015

12 May 2015

RRC Colchester

19 May 2015 19 May 2015 (Course location Shorncliffe (Gurkha)) 16 June 2015 16 June 2015

Interview Techniques

01 April 2015 09 June 2015

Housing

Housing

28 April 2015 27 May 2015 30 June 2015

19 May 2015

END DATE

64 www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015

21 May 2015

RRC Cottesmore 01572 812241 ext 7716 Military 95341 7116 rrccottesmore@ctp.org.uk

14 May 2015

Interview Techniques 20 April 2015 22 June 2015

20 April 2015 22 June 2015

RRC Herford 0049 5221 9953388 Military 94882 3388 rrcherford@ctp.org.uk START DATE

END DATE

CTW Junior Ranks START DATE

END DATE

Business Start Up 21 May 2015

22 May 2015

CTW Junior Ranks 14 April 2015 21 April 2015 28 April 2015 12 May 2015 19 May 2015 02 June 2015 09 June 2015 16 June 2015 23 June 2015 30 June 2015

16 April 2015 23 April 2015 30 April 2015 14 May 2015 21 May 2015 04 June 2015 11 June 2015 18 June 2015 25 June 2015 02 July 2015

CTW Mixed Class 13 April 2015 15 April 2015 13 April 2015 15 April 2015 (Course location Cyprus) 11 May 2015 13 May 2015 26 May 2015 28 May 2015 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 (Course location Cyprus) 29 June 2015 01 July 2015

CTW Officer 27 April 2015 01 June 2015

29 April 2015 03 June 2015

CTW SNCO 20 April 2015 05 May 2015 18 May 2015 08 June 2015 22 June 2015

22 April 2015 07 May 2015 20 May 2015 10 June 2015 24 June 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 16 April 2015 16 April 2015 (Course location Cyprus) 07 May 2015 07 May 2015 11 June 2015 11 June 2015 18 June 2015 18 June 2015 (Course location Cyprus)

14 April 2015 04 May 2015 11 May 2015 08 June 2015 22 June 2015

16 April 2015 06 May 2015 13 May 2015 10 June 2015 24 June 2015

CTW Officer/SNCO 28 April 2015 19 May 2015 16 June 2015 30 June 2015

30 April 2015 21 May 2015 18 June 2015 02 July 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 27 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

27 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

Housing 30 June 2015 30 June 2015 (41 AEC, Paderborn)

Central London 020 7469 6661 resettlementinfo@ctp.org.uk START DATE

END DATE

CTW Senior Officer 07 April 2015 19 May 2015 09 June 2015 30 June 2015

09 April 2015 21 May 2015 11 June 2015 02 July 2015

Interview Techniques (Snr Officer) 10 April 2015 08 May 2015 05 June 2015

10 April 2015 08 May 2015 05 June 2015

RRC Northolt 020 8842 6063/6064 Military 95233 6063/6064 rrcnortholt@ctp.org.uk

FAR Officers 30 June 2015

CTW Mixed Class 14 April 2015 27 April 2015 11 May 2015 26 May 2015 08 June 2015 22 June 2015

20 May 2015

Interview Techniques 21 May 2015

FAR All Ranks

CTW Officer 26 May 2015

END DATE

20 April 2015 18 May 2015 15 June 2015

16 April 2015 29 April 2015 13 May 2015 28 May 2015 10 June 2015 24 June 2015

10 June 2015 10 June 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)

START DATE

FAR Other Ranks

Business Start Up

11 June 2015 11 June 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)

19 May 2015

Housing

21 April 2015 28 April 2015 12 May 2015 09 June 2015 16 June 2015 29 June 2015

21 April 2015 21 April 2015 (Course location Nuffield Pavilion, RAF Cosford) 13 May 2015 13 May 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)

END DATE 20 May 2015

CTW Mixed Class 23 April 2015 30 April 2015 14 May 2015 11 June 2015 18 June 2015 01 July 2015

Courses and events CTW Officer 14 April 2015 05 May 2015 26 May 2015 02 June 2015 23 June 2015

16 April 2015 07 May 2015 28 May 2015 04 June 2015 25 June 2015

RRC Portsmouth 023 9272 4130 Military 9380 24130 rrcportsmouth@ctp.org.uk

Employment Support Programme Wksp

START DATE

20 April 2015 08 June 2015

Business Start Up

20 April 2015 08 June 2015

END DATE

27 May 2015

FAR All Ranks 17 March 2015

17 March 2015

Interview Techniques 21 May 2015 19 June 2015

21 May 2015 19 June 2015

Networking 18 May 2015 29 June 2015

18 May 2015 29 June 2015

RRC Plymouth 01752 553376/93 Military 9375 53393/76 rrcplymouth@ctp.org.uk START DATE

END DATE

Business Start Up 27 April 2015 10 June 2015

28 April 2015 11 June 2015

CTW Junior Ranks 20 April 2015 11 May 2015 08 June 2015 29 June 2015

22 April 2015 13 May 2015 10 June 2015 01 July 2015

CTW Mixed Class 07 April 2015 09 April 2015 21 April 2015 23 April 2015 (Course location Culdrose) 27 April 2015 29 April 2015 26 May 2015 28 May 2015 09 June 2015 11 June 2015 (Course location Culdrose) 15 June 2015 17 June 2015

CTW Officer 18 May 2015

15 April 2015 07 May 2015 03 June 2015 24 June 2015

16 April 2015 18 June 2015

FAR All Ranks 23 April 2015

23 April 2015

Interview Techniques 21 May 2015

14 April 2015 19 May 2015 23 June 2015

16 April 2015 21 May 2015 25 June 2015

CTW Mixed Class 13 April 2015 05 May 2015 26 May 2015 08 June 2015 29 June 2015

15 April 2015 07 May 2015 28 May 2015 10 June 2015 01 July 2015

CTW Officer 20 April 2015 18 May 2015 22 June 2015

22 April 2015 20 May 2015 24 June 2015

21 May 2015

11 May 2015 01 June 2015

27 April 2015 11 May 2015 01 June 2015 15 June 2015

29 April 2015 13 May 2015 03 June 2015 17 June 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 14 May 2015 18 June 2015

14 May 2015 18 June 2015

27 April 2015 26 May 2015 29 June 2015

09 April 2015 14 May 2015

Housing 25 June 2015

29 April 2015 28 May 2015 01 July 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 16 April 2015 11 June 2015

17 April 2015 12 June 2015

FAR All Ranks 05 April 2015

05 April 2015

First Steps 28 May 2015

28 May 2015

RRC Tidworth 01980 650689 Military 94342 2689 rrctidworth@ctp.org.uk END DATE

Business Start Up 07 April 2015 20 April 2015 05 May 2015 18 May 2015 19 May 2015 01 June 2015 16 June 2015

08 April 2015 21 April 2015 06 May 2015 19 May 2015 20 May 2015 02 June 2015 17 June 2015

CTW Junior Ranks

FAR All Ranks 09 April 2015 14 May 2015

13 May 2015 03 June 2015

CTW SNCO

START DATE

CTW SNCO

25 June 2015

RRC Rosyth 01383 858230 Military 94740 8230 rrcrosyth@ctp.org.uk

07 April 2015 14 April 2015 21 April 2015 27 April 2015 05 May 2015 11 May 2015 18 May 2015 26 May 2015 01 June 2015 08 June 2015 15 June 2015 22 June 2015 30 June 2015

09 April 2015 16 April 2015 23 April 2015 29 April 2015 07 May 2015 13 May 2015 20 May 2015 28 May 2015 03 June 2015 10 June 2015 17 June 2015 24 June 2015 02 July 2015

Employment Support Programme Wksp 09 April 2015 23 April 2015 07 May 2015 21 May 2015 04 June 2015 25 June 2015

09 April 2015 23 April 2015 07 May 2015 21 May 2015 04 June 2015 25 June 2015

FAR Officers 06 May 2015 06 May 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre)

FAR Other Ranks 07 April 2015 07 April 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre) 23 June 2015 23 June 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre)

Housing 09 June 2015 09 June 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre)

Insight to Management Consultancy 16 April 2015 20 May 2015 18 June 2015

16 April 2015 20 May 2015 18 June 2015

Interview Techniques 27 April 2015 26 May 2015 22 June 2015

27 April 2015 26 May 2015 22 June 2015

Networking 14 April 2015 28 April 2015 27 May 2015 30 June 2015

14 April 2015 28 April 2015 27 May 2015 30 June 2015

New Horizons in Retirement 30 April 2015

30 April 2015

CTW Mixed Class START DATE

Employment Support Programme Wksp 16 April 2015 18 June 2015

CTW Junior Ranks

20 May 2015

CTW SNCO 13 April 2015 05 May 2015 01 June 2015 22 June 2015

28 May 2015

CTW Officer/SNCO

END DATE

12 May 2015 14 May 2015 (Course location Chepstow)

15 May 2015

CTW Officer

Business Start Up 14 May 2015

CTW Junior Ranks 13 April 2015 18 May 2015 23 June 2015

15 April 2015 20 May 2015 25 June 2015

CTW Mixed Class 07 April 2015 09 April 2015 20 April 2015 22 April 2015 05 May 2015 07 May 2015 18 May 2015 20 May 2015 (Course location Lossiemouth) 08 June 2015 10 June 2015 29 June 2015 01 July 2015

13 April 2015 28 April 2015 12 May 2015 26 May 2015 09 June 2015 23 June 2015

15 April 2015 30 April 2015 14 May 2015 28 May 2015 11 June 2015 25 June 2015

CTW SNCO 07 April 2015 20 April 2015 05 May 2015 19 May 2015 02 June 2015 29 June 2015

09 April 2015 22 April 2015 07 May 2015 21 May 2015 04 June 2015 01 July 2015

Visit www.ctp.org.uk for further details

RTA

VEHICLE RECOVERY TRAINING Hiab, Flt and Cpc included Dedicated Training Centre Tel: 01492 514300 E-mail: admin@attdg.co.uk www.mod-resettlement.co.uk

APPROVED BY MoD IN SUPPORT OF THE ELC SCHEME

E LC

PROVIDER NUMBER

3134

65 March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

When responding to advertisements please mention Quest

Safe departures take more than pilots; train to become an

6WLYH[PVUZ 6MÄ JLY VY -SPNO[ +PZWH[JOLY Open Learning Courses with ELCAS funding

Airline Operations and Dispatch Airport Operations APPROVED BY MoD IN SUPPORT OF THE ELC SCHEME

E LC

PROVIDER NUMBER

1009

www.avtech2000.co.uk

01892 770250

8 day locksmith Fasttrack course?

Becoming a locksmith gives you exciting opportunities to have varied roles within the security industry.

These may include:-

After training with us you will know how to:-

Why train with us:-

• Warrant locksmith.

• Working for housing associations.

• Gaining entry on behalf of the magistrates courts.

• Working for letting agents and repossession companies.

• Pick open and bypass a vast range of door locks and windows.

• Understand how to make a working key to a door lock just by using hand tools .

• Open a variety of British Standard mortice locks without doing any damage.

• Understand the techniques to successfully open any domestic or commercial building.

• We currently train both Police, Military and Council personal with the latest up to date techniques.

• :ee hnk bglmkn\mhkl Zk^ Zelh aZg]l hg experienced locksmiths who teach using hger aZg]l hg mkb^] Zg] m^lm^] f^mah]l' • We are approved by ELCAS, CCTP as well as the Master Locksmiths Association.

• We have been teaching locksmith entry techniques for over 10 years.

APPROVED BY MoD IN SUPPORT OF THE ELC SCHEME

E LC

PROVIDER NUMBER

3016

0121 459 8722 www.1stcalllockouts.co.uk

For further information or to request a training pack please call: 66

www.questonline.co.uk / March 2015