Education, retraining and job opportunities for EVERYBODY in the Armed Forces
The resettlement magazine
IN THIS ISSUE HEALTH AND SAFETY LEISURE, THERAPY AND WELL-BEING LOCKSMITHING MARKETING RAIL INDUSTRY SECURITY SMART METERS
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The only monthly resettlement magazine distributed to all MoD Units by BFPO under contract
May 2015 ISSUE 195
www.gastectraining.co.uk Gastec has more than 1 years experience in the resettlement training of MoD Service Leavers, with over successfully trained students now working within the industry. Other providers promise - we deliver!
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Contents
Quest IT’S MAY, A TIME OF YEAR that heralds the UK’s annual bout of ritual international humiliation: the Eurovision Song Contest. On a more positive (not to mention harmonious!) note, advice to help you avoid your own unfortunate career-related ‘nul points’ situation is at hand. As usual, this issue of Quest tunes in to an array of different industries. This time we pass the mic to the security sector – along with the closely related field of locksmithing – as well as health and safety, marketing, the rail industry, and the world of the smart meter installer, plus we take a brief look at the career potential offered by leisure, therapy and well-being. Last but not least, we offer a useful stepby-step guide to dealing with redundancy, whether of your own choosing or not. Whatever your next career move, we sincerely hope that – whatever happens in Vienna this month – your own future sees you hit the high notes!
MAY 2015 ISSUE 195
6PAGE 20
6PAGE 26
HEALTH AND SAFETY
SECURITY
6PAGE 32 MARKETING
6PAGE 30
LOCKSMITHING
6PAGE 36
SMART METER INSTALLATION
6PAGE 42 RAIL INDUSTRY
Lynn Brown Editor
6PAGE 45
LEISURE, THERAPY AND WELL-BEING
REGULARS 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 46 Factfile – your guide to a better future Complicated rules and regulations, compressed and explained 58 Career Transition Partnership courses and events 61 Job opportunities 62 Preparing for redundancy
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. May 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 CRS adds more ELC-approved courses
orporate Risk Systems (CRS), one of the UK’s largest accredited health, safety and environmental training organisations, is pleased to announce that it has just launched a new Environmental Lead Auditor Course to its already impressive 21 courses approved by MoD for ELCAS funding. This new course is accredited by IEMA and is designed to develop delegates’ auditing skills through their application to an environmental management systems audit. Participants work in
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small teams, led by an experienced lead auditor as they conduct an opening meeting, plan the audit, interview employees and evaluate the key documentation of the environmental management systems. It is a five‐day classroom‐ based course and is currently being run at four of the CRS’s ten training centres across the UK. The course is aimed at individuals who wish to undertake or lead environmental audits as part of an EMS (environmental management system) such as ISO 14001. Anyone who wishes to gain audit skills in safety, health and environmental auditing should consider CRS’s integrated IOSH SHE audit course. Get in touch Tel: 01283 509175 Web: www.crsrisk.com See the advertisement on page 21
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
Act smart and switch your skills Be part of the smart meter revolution he National Skills Academy has identified that 16,000 smart meter engineers will be required to fit 52 million smart meters into domestic properties in the UK by 2020. Currently only 1,000 are registered. To help you to gain the required skills to bridge this gap, Future Energy has established a smart meter training academy based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which offers a BPEC‐ accredited level 2 dual‐fuel smart meter installation qualification. Our experienced team of trainers will equip you with the technical skills required to install and commission the smart meters and communications. The tutors will also help you develop the skills required to explain to customers how their new smart meters and in‐home display interact. Producing competent, confident, customer‐ focused and safe personnel is our goal, empowering the right individuals to break in to this lucrative market, to pursue a new, exciting and rewarding career. Practical experience can be gained not only in the academy, but also during a guaranteed work
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www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
placement, allowing candidates to gain real understanding and a scope of the opportunities available in the industry. Exclusively for ex‐Forces personnel we offer a guaranteed job interview with our UK‐based partners, as well as funding of up to £4,000 towards the cost of our dual fuel courses. So, to switch your skills and venture towards a new future … Get in touch Tel: 0191 276 0065 email: steve@future‐energy.org.uk Web: www.future‐energy.org.uk See the advertisement on page 37
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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The logistics sector needs you! Did you know, the UK is currently facing a 45,000 shortfall of LGV drivers?* TIR can put you on the road to a new career in this exciting industry. • • • • • • •
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5 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
Resettlement round-up
Get into utilities with Gastec
CTP events 2015 Network with potential employers and take the next step towards your new career he Career Transition Partnership (CTP) offers a range of employment fairs, industry awareness events and company presentations throughout the year. These events offer Service leavers the opportunity to meet employers specifically seeking their skills and qualities, along with the chance to research a particular industry or employer, find out more about
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current or future job vacancies, and determine any training requirements. Details of forthcoming employment fairs and industry awareness events can be found below. Additionally, the CTP regularly hosts recruitment presentations from companies with multiple job vacancies, either at Regional Resettlement Centres or company premises; visit www.ctp.org.uk/events for full details. All events are free to attend and are open to Service leavers at any point of the resettlement process.
Employment fairs Event
Date
Venue
Scotland
14 May
Dewars Centre, Perth
South‐west
18 June
University of the West of England, Bristol
East of England
16 July
Newmarket Racecourse
North‐west/West Midlands
10 September
Manchester Central Convention Complex
Industry awareness events f you are leaving the Armed Forces and thinking about your career options then why not consider a career in the utilities sector? A wide choice of career options is available to you in the gas, oil, water, refrigeration and electrical sectors, and Gastec has a wide range of experience and understanding of the training needs of personnel leaving the Services. Its state‐of‐the‐art training and assessment centre is just off the M1 in Milton Keynes. This purpose‐built centre contains air‐conditioned classrooms, Smart Board technology and a range of facilities to make your time there enjoyable as well as productive. Together with tailor‐made workshops and refreshment facilities, everything combines to make the learning experience as easy and as pleasant as possible. All staff are friendly and approachable, and each has an in‐depth industry knowledge and a wealth of practical experience, which enables them to provide the very best levels of guidance and advice. If you would like to come and view the facilities, you are always welcome. Alternatively, you can come and speak to Gastec representatives at the following military events: ● 24 June 2015 – RAF Waddington Awareness Day ● 26 June 2015 – Cardiff Transition Fair.
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Get in touch Tel: 0800 195 80 66 FREE to arrange a visit
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See the advertisement on page 2
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
Industry
Date
Venue
IT & telecoms
29 May
The Bell, St Omer Barracks, Aldershot
Renewables/offshore
11 June
Catch Facility, Grimsby
Transport & logistics (including rail)
25 June
Catterick
Engineering
2 July
Cottesmore
Nuclear
24 July
Plymouth
Transport & logistics
8 September
19 Regt RA/1 RHA Training Wing, Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth
Management (including facilities management/ health & safety)
30 September
19 Regt RA/1 RHA Training Wing, Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth
Call the central bookings team today on 0203 162 4410 for further information and to book your place.
Interact with Quest ! You can follow and link up with Quest on social media, too. We’d love to have you on board! Join, network, comment and post your own discussions. Here’s all the information you need: Twitter @questmagazine Facebook https://www.facebook.com/questmagazine LinkedIn Quest Magazine Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/quest Quest Magazine Company: http://www.linkedin.com/company/quest Quest Magazine Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/quest-magazine Website www.questonline.co.uk
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Resettlement round-up
BUSINESS START-UP HELP IN WILTS
Free events to help Wiltshire military spouses and partners keen to start a business ilitary spouses and partners can now take their first steps towards running their own businesses with a series of free events across Wiltshire. Nine workshops will be held from mid‐ April to September close to the county’s military communities, offering help, advice and inspiration to help turn a spark of an idea into a viable business. Kate Forrest from The Enterprise Network says: ‘The informal coffee morning‐style events would suit someone spotting a business opportunity, looking to earn money from a hobby or creative talent, or thinking of resurrecting their career by going self‐employed.’ The ‘Be Your Own Boss’ events are funded by Wiltshire Council through The Enterprise Network, which supports start‐up and growing micro‐ businesses across Swindon and Wiltshire. Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council, says: ‘We’re proud to be a military county and we recognise the economic value of having Service personnel living and working in Wiltshire. These events will provide an excellent springboard to help inspire Service leavers and partners of military personnel to launch their own business ideas with expert support and advice.’ The events will be run by Wiltshire Business Support Service at venues in Bulford, Ludgershall, Royal Wootton Bassett, Tidworth and Warminster. Kristen Smith, a military wife who runs her successful specialist recruitment companies Staff Medical and Insignia Global Partners from family quarters at Tidworth, says: ‘Military wives know what it is like to manage on their own – stepping up into running a business just needs a great idea and a bit of confidence that you can do it.’ While the events are particularly suited to military spouses and partners, and include free childcare, coffee and cake, anyone interested in taking a business idea further is welcome. To book a free place, visit www.theenterprisenetwork.co.uk/civv ystreet or, for further information, call 01225 402096 or email events@wessexchambers.org.uk
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8 www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
Highly distributed oil and gas workforces see benefit of online distance learning TCS (UK) Ltd has devised a highly portable virtual learning environment, MTCS Online system, which has been built to aid companies whose individuals spend a lot of time offshore on vessels or rigs. Indeed, many subsea industry executives now realise that knowledge, and the application of knowledge, is key to business success. Gail Bartolf, Global Sales Coordinator for MTCS (UK) Ltd, explains: ‘While we do send trainers when possible to company employees, their being all over the world or on changing shift patterns means extra issues with the training and getting trainees together. A major issue is cost to the company, which can include flights, accommodation and perhaps day rates. MTCS Online is a virtual learning environment designed for instant accessibility and optimum portability. It makes our products available anywhere, anytime, allowing companies to use one system to track and monitor learners’ progress throughout their offshore career.’ Atlas Services Group, which currently uses MTCS Online, confirms: ‘This is a very effective way for us to ensure our workers are capable of making the workplace decisions they need to make. Although we have focused on competences for some time, the practice is growing in online learning and, here at Atlas, we tie in distance learning to competence management. Competence management in online learning continues to be very popular with us and enables Atlas to deal with highly distributed workforces. Fortunately, MTCS is able to offer fully accredited competence management frameworks that allow our workers to gain certification in the workplace, no matter where in the world they are.’
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The MTCS Competence Management Programme follows the guidelines set by IMCA and is hosted on MTCS Online, which is compatible with Apple Mac, Windows 7/8. Gail Bartolf concludes: ‘This is a faster and more efficient way for MTCS to deliver solutions to our global client base and obviously has huge potential for companies.’ Courses available via MTCS Online include: High Voltage, ROV Hydraulics and Skills Assessor, with Fibre Optics coming shortly. Additionally, the system is host to competence programmes for all IMCA grades, including marine back‐deck, diving, survey – and, in fact, all offshore IMCA competence grades. For a sample demo … Get in touch email: Gail@mtcs.info Web: www.mtcs.info
Priory recruits healthcare professionals from the military igh‐quality medical services are as much a part of the UK Armed Forces as tanks, ships and aircraft, but where do military doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants go once they leave the Services? If Priory Healthcare has its way, many of them will join its 275 facilities across the country. ‘We know from experience just how able and effective ex‐Forces professionals can be,’ says Group HR Director Claire Balmforth. ‘Their exceptional expertise, discipline and collaborative skills allow them to fit in perfectly as part of our team.’ Priory Healthcare’s continuing growth means that it can offer a wide range of opportunities to clinical and other healthcare professionals at all levels. It is now the UK’s leading independent provider of specialist mental health services, and has the largest network of mental healthcare hospitals and clinics in the country. In addition to being one of the biggest providers of mental health services to the NHS, for example, it provides psychiatric care and therapy for conditions that include depression, eating disorders, anxiety, neuro‐disabilities and complex care. Priory Healthcare also provides forensic mental healthcare for adults who require secure
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and step‐down care in settings that provide physical and psychological security. And, just for good measure, it is a major force in the treatment of young people, providing more Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS) inpatient beds to the NHS than any other independent provider. Priory has much to offer medical and healthcare professional beyond the scope and scale of its activities. The company invests heavily in training and ongoing professional development. It also has an award‐winning e‐ learning programme, structured career development plans and opportunities to pursue additional qualifications where they are relevant to Priory’s operational and strategic needs. Doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants who are leaving the Armed Forces – or thinking of doing so – can find out more by visiting Priory’s careers website. Get in touch Web: Jobs.priorygroup.com See the advertisement on page 65
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Resettlement round-up
The time is right for Lean Six Sigma
ith the economy improving, but at a critical stage, many businesses across safety‐critical industries such as construction, civil engineering, and oil and gas are working hard to reduce costs against a backdrop of maintaining high safety and service standards. With this in mind, many are turning to Lean Six Sigma practitioners to provide the skills needed to deliver real and sustainable benefits across their organisations. But, with a shortage of qualified practitioners, there has never been a better time for military leavers to seize the opportunity to develop their skills in Lean Six Sigma to support this growing demand for a methodology that is proving so successful for many in creating competitive advantage in the complex and changing world that safety‐critical industries operate in. With Embrion, training is specifically tailored to make the most of a military leaver’s skills and knowledge, delivered by experienced instructors that understand the needs of both military leavers and high‐value industries. Lean Six Sigma courses are delivered by experts such as Gordon Wallace, with more than 30 years’ experience of business improvement with Shell, one of the world’s major energy producers and suppliers. Using his knowledge and experience, Gordon delivers a unique ELCAS and ILM‐ accredited five‐day Lean Six‐Sigma Green Belt course, costing only £1,395 that takes the best models and tools to create tomorrows Lean Six Sigma leaders – individuals that will take this knowledge into businesses to change organisations and inspire everyone in a business through a set of effective management systems and behaviours to deliver real and sustainable results. All courses are designed to take someone with zero knowledge, ensuring that everyone receives the strongest foundations of learning and supported by training mentors who provide the tailored support that ensures the highest success rates – Embrion pass rates are among the highest in the industry.
FIND OUT ABOUT FRANCHISING!
Ex-military find a second career in franchising
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Get in touch email: candy.maguire@embrion.co.uk Web: www.embrion.co.uk See the advertisement on page 13
10 www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
Simon Webb
t is projected that, by 2020, the Armed Forces will have reduced its regular workforce by 30,890, forcing many military personnel to look at alternative career options. With thousands of ex‐military already possessing the unique skill set to run their own business, franchising can offer ambitious, hardworking ex‐Forces people a safe route to a new career through self‐ employment. After serving in the RAF for 18 years, Simon Webb decided to investigate franchising further. Visiting the Franchise Exhibition, Simon met with a representative from Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA), a leading franchise in specialist procurement. Simon comments, ‘I met ERA and got chatting a little later on to an ERA franchise partner … and the rest, as they say, is history.’ Wanting to channel his skill set into something fresh and exciting, Simon followed the training and franchise model rigorously and, within six months, had managed to sign two clients and lay the groundwork for many more. ‘It became clear very quickly that the skills I had gained from the RAF, such as teamwork, communication and professionalism were not only relevant but stood me in very good stead indeed. ERA has really enabled me to bring together all the experience I already had under my belt and rapidly develop it to help me launch my business.’ As one of the UK’s most successful business models, franchising contributes £13.7 billion to the UK economy and employs well over 500,000 Brits across the UK. The business model is ideal for those looking to run their own company but with the support and backing of an established brand. Mark Llewellyn, managing director at Revive!, a leading automotive repair franchise operating across the UK and Ireland, believes franchising can offer an exceptional business‐ building opportunities for ex‐military:
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‘Running a franchise is a good fit for people with a military or public service background. The self‐discipline and interpersonal skills needed to serve in the Armed Forces are key qualities we look for when recruiting franchisees, and the fact that they are already used to following a set way of doing things means that the franchise model provides a familiar and comfortable platform upon which they can build a thriving business. ‘The transition to civilian life can be exciting but at the same time a daunting prospect. Many ex‐military personnel want to be their own boss, and have the skills and ambition to run their own business, but still want to be a part of a team. Franchising can offer ambitious, hardworking ex‐Forces personnel a great route to a rewarding job and career through self‐employment.’ Central to the UK’s franchising industry, the 2015 Franchise Exhibitions offer ex‐Forces people an ideal opportunity to meet with business experts, case studies, and some of the UK’s top brands from a wide range of sectors, including care, food and catering, cleaning, retail and property. As the only franchise events to be accredited by the British Franchise Association (bfa), The Franchise Exhibitions are highly regarded and trusted, as all franchises exhibiting have to meet the bfa’s strict code of ethics in order to exhibit. The exhibition will also offer visitors free access to an extensive seminar programme including advice clinics featuring experts from the bfa, legal and financial firms, as well as franchisees themselves, who will share their own career journey and success. The British Franchise Exhibition takes place at EventCity, Manchester, on 19/20 June 2015. Visitors can gain free entry by registering online at www.franchisetickets.co.uk and entering the promotional code BFE1 (saving £10).
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
11 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
Resettlement round-up
TTA: developing individuals to secure the future of the UK’s logistics and construction industry ransport Training Academy (TTA) is a well‐established and respected training organisation based and operating in the north‐ west of England, but also providing training to clients and customers at a national level. TTA was formed in 2004 with the objective of delivering driving assessments to small and medium‐ sized transport companies. Since then TTA has developed and expanded to where it is today and now offers a variety of training to the transport, distribution and logistics sector. Due to the passion it has for the industry, as well as its people, it fully understands and advocates the need for quality training. Its training portfolio consists of a broad range of logistics courses, covering logistics, construction and management. Its highly knowledgeable team will provide you with honest information, advice and guidance, ensuring that your training is tailored to your specific needs. Its support team has been advising military personnel on their resettlement for nearly ten years. Its instructors include ex‐military personnel, who understand fully the emotions you will be experiencing at this important stage of your career. Within the TTA Customer Pledge, it promises that you will receive quality training that is relevant to your needs, and is committed to support you through every step of your learning journey and beyond. Its recently refurbished training centre has been designed with you in mind, to ensure that it offers you the highest standard of training available. It has its own DSA‐accredited manoeuvring area for LGV training, state‐of‐the‐art training rooms and fork‐lift truck facilities, which simulate a real working warehouse environment. TTA offers a comprehensive range of driving courses. Its course portfolio is not only designed for individuals wishing to enter into the industry as a new career but also for existing drivers wanting to enhance and develop their skills. Its construction and warehouse course portfolio has been designed to incorporate the large range of disciplines that are used on a daily basis, not only in the logistics and construction industries but many other sectors and trades. Its instructor and management portfolio contains a variety of high‐level courses that are divided into two areas. Those who are looking to work in a managerial role, such as a transport manager via the level 3 CILT (UK) Certificate of Professional Competence, or individuals who want to develop teams and enhance their operational role. It also offers a range of industry‐recognised short courses that have been designed not only to enhance your current skills but also your employability. In order for TTA to assist you in achieving your ultimate goal of employment, it offers real‐life work experience with its network of commercial customers to make sure you get the experience appropriate to you. It works in partnership with numerous national blue‐chip companies and reputable recruitment agencies to give you access to hundreds of live vacancies throughout the UK, which are updated on a regular basis. TTA’s mission is to inspire, develop and train individuals to achieve their learning aim, which in turn will not only bring an improved professional and positive image to the industry but also enable an individual to conduct their role safely, responsibly and efficiently.
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Get in touch Tel: 0845 056 0561 Web: www.ttacademy.com
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See the advertisement on page 51
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
I DID IT! Name: Beverley Thorogood Employer: Ministry of Defence, Royal Air Force Position: personal learning adviser Why did you choose to study on BA Business & Enterprise? ‘The BABE programme offered a number of key benefits for me: the ability to gain accreditation of prior learning and experience, and therefore to achieve the degree in under 12 months; the content focused on the practical application of learning that was totally relevant to the private, public and third sectors. The BABE programme offers very good value for money.’ What were the three key things that you learned? ‘First, I realised that the skills and knowledge I’d gained throughout my life were greater than I’d given myself credit for. Second, that reflective learning is a fantastic tool for developing emotional intelligence and can be quite humbling. Third, that learning theoretical models is less effective than learning how to apply those models to real situations; as BABE is very strongly focused on work‐based, real situations, that makes the learning more relevant.’ How has your organisation benefited from your studies? ‘The BABE programme has taught me to take a more strategic view of the organisation. The Work Based Learning Project provides a clear plan of action, giving me the motivation to keep going. I have been able to increase our customer base and offer a wider range of services. The business models and tools that I’ve been introduced to have ensured that I can evaluate and measure the success of a project, and enabled me to align the project to the Station Commander’s strategic objectives. On a professional level, it has helped develop my leadership and management skills, enabling me to be a more confident manager.’ What has been the impact on you personally in achieving a degree? ‘When I completed a module and passed it I felt a profound sense of achievement. The biggest impact, however, is an increase in personal confidence. When I embarked on the programme I was filled with self‐ doubt but now I feel I can do anything!’ What would you say to someone who is considering starting BA Business & Enterprise? ‘To be absolutely certain that it is the right course for them. However, if looking for a business and management‐related course, providing the skills and knowledge to apply them in their workplace is challenging but satisfying – I couldn’t suggest a better course than BABE. The support and feedback I’ve received from the university has been outstanding, and having the monthly contact with the rest of the cohort has meant I never felt like I was doing this on my own.’ If you had to sum up your participation in BABE in one sentence, what would you say? ‘BABE is a highly rewarding, well‐structured programme using blended learning to get the best out of its students.’ Get in touch Tel: 0131 455 4348 email: Su.Smith@napier.ac.uk See the advertisement on page 39
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
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13
Resettlement round-up
Trade Skills 4U CEO celebrates 10th birthday with van giveaway!
n 25 April 2015, Trade Skills 4U celebrated its 10th birthday with its Win‐ A‐Van Competition. Anyone booking a course during April or May 2015 will be entered in to a prize draw to win a brand new Vauxhall Combo Van. During the past ten years it has grown from a small training company into the UK’s leading electrical trainer. The company was originally founded by CEO Carl Bennett after an operation to remove a brain tumour forced him into early retirement from his job with the Met Police in London as a Specialist Firearms Officer in Dept SO19. At this crossroads in his life, Carl had to ask himself what were his main skills and how could he best use them? While a team leader in SO19 Carl had learned how to train and develop the skills of his team into becoming an ‘elite squad’, so he knew about training. He led and organised a team of committed people in a high‐pressure job, so he also knew about leadership and organisation. While still a copper, he had built his own house, so he had learned about the trades and their skills, and the importance of good‐quality trades people. So it was obvious to him to combine what he felt confident he knew about with the skills he already had at his disposal and, with his small pension lump sum and the help of his also ex‐Police Officer wife Tracey, he started Trade Skills 4U. ‘In the beginning we had many sleepless nights and new business money worries – how am I going to pay the rent? My staff? Myself? But we got through. One thing I don’t do is give up. We’ve plastered our walls with posters here at Trade Skills 4U, encouraging people who train with us, to work hard, never give up, try to do your best, if you don’t put effort in here, you won’t get the rewards. That message worked for me, I want it to work for them. We’ve now got the most successful electrical training company in the UK. I want to show people who come to us, many at crossroads like I was, that if you believe in yourself and roll your sleeves up you can turn adversity into achievement. I’m no Alan Sugar, I’m a regular bloke, but as a business owner my thought is this ‘build it and they will come’. Do your best in every way, give the best service for your customers, give them what they need, don’t over‐promise and under‐deliver, do the opposite, and they will come, and thankfully they do.’
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Back in 2011 Trade Skills 4U launched its Forgotten Heroes bursary scheme, and it is clearly something very close to Carl’s heart. The scheme offers free course places to ex‐military personnel who have essentially fallen on hard times and need a helping hand to retrain. Since then, Trade Skills 4U has given out dozens of bursary places to those looking to make a fresh start. In most cases the training has really changed the candidates’ lives, enabling them to move towards a new future. ‘I, more than anyone, understand how hard it is to overcome personal trauma while trying to change your life. It is really tough and takes a hell of a lot of motivation to make the change at a time where everything seems to be working against you. At the end of the day, what we deliver is often a life‐changing experience. People trust us to help them make possibly one of the most important transitions in their lives, be that a change of career or simply looking to gain promotion or further their skillset. We get this aspect of what we do and work hard to ensure we do not let our customers down,’ says Carl. Trade Skills 4U continues to go from strength to strength. In 2012 all the hard work was rewarded by the IET when it was recognised as the very first member of its Centres of Excellence Scheme. About the competition All customers who book a course between 1 April and 31 May 2015 will be entered in to a prize draw to win a brand new Vauxhall Combo Van worth nearly £17,000. At the start of June, Trade Skills 4U will draw three finalists out of a hat. Those three finalists will be invited back to Trade Skills 4U to compete in a game of Giant Buzzwire. Whoever completes the Buzzwire challenge the quickest or gets the furthest will win the van and the two runners‐up will also receive Kewtech KT63 testers for their efforts. For more info visit: www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/winavan Get in touch For more information on the bursary scheme visit: www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/bursary For more information on ELC‐accredited courses visit: www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/mod See the advertisement on page 53
I DID IT! Name: Kevin Fay Years served: 7 Current job: Team Leader, Securewest International ‘Having served for seven years in 29 Commando Regiment RA, I decided to pursue a career in civvy street. After a few low‐level security and driving jobs, I decided I needed to do something more lucrative – and something that better used my particular skill set. After a lot of research, I decided on a career in maritime security, in particular in an anti‐piracy role. ‘After more research I decided to attend the Maritime Security Officers course run by Securewest International in Plymouth. Established in 1987, with more than 26 years’ experience, Securewest is a leading employer within the industry. It offers a comprehensive course, approved by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and City & Guilds, which is run by experienced former team leaders who are well respected within the industry. Vitally, it offered the opportunity to gain employment with the company on successful completion of the course. ‘The course instructor was Paul Symons, also a former member of 29 Commando Regiment. Paul is Securewest International’s Training and Compliance Manager, and also a former close protection officer and maritime security team leader. Paul’s experience was evident from the start. His knowledge of the industry was passed on to the students with enthusiasm and his ground truth knowledge was exceptional; he always found time to talk to the students to share his experiences. I left the course not only suitably qualified but with the confidence to carry out the role of a maritime security officer with all the relevant tools and knowledge to do the job well and to the best of my ability. ‘On completion of the MSO course, and after a successful interview with the company, I was offered a position as an MSO with an immediate start, although there was a considerable amount of paperwork to complete first. ‘One year and six months later, and after a vast amount of experience accumulated from working with outstanding individuals and the confidence that only comes from numerous successful transits in an anti‐piracy role, I have been offered the role of a team leader. ‘Thanks to Securewest International and working within the frameworks of a highly professional and respected company and its exceptional personnel, I have been able to enjoy a job where I get to travel to locations such as Dubai, Egypt and Sri Lanka, meet and work alongside varied and interesting characters, carried out tasks that interest and challenge me, and kept not only the long‐haired general at home happy, but also the bank manager! I am also home frequently enough that I never miss out on the little things in life that a serving member of the Armed Forces knows only too well.’
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Introduction to Mobile Communications 3/4G LTE Wireless Communications Level 3 City & Guilds 6144-31 Award in Understanding Planning Supervising and Managing Working at Height (ELC) Rooftop Safety & Access Tower Climbing, Advanced Climbing Techniques & Rigging Rescue from Height Working at Height RF Awareness First Aid at Height Mobile Communications and Wireless Networks are being upgraded to meet the next revolution called the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M), which will be the biggest thing to affect our lives since electricity. We will see an explosion of Mobile and Wireless Network infrastructures being rolled out in the UK and across the world. In addition Climbing and Rigging are the skills that are in demand in the Telecoms Sector, with the Government announcement that ÂŁ5 billion will be invested in the UK Mobile Networks upgrade in line with the Superfast Broadband Initiative. CTTS are renowned for innovative programme design, forecasting skills and shortages. These unique courses, as used by employers to train their staff, prepare you for working in this exciting industry and are only available at the CTTS Climbing and Mobile Telecom Training Centre.
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Resettlement round-up
I DID IT!
Get on track to a career in the rail industry
Name: Daniel Harpham Course: Post Graduate Certificate in Wireless Communication
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Employers seem to be aware of the attitude and work ethic of ex‐Forces personnel. They recognise that we have a ‘can do’ attitude and are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. They like the discipline and reliability that former Service people can bring into a civilian work environment. The course was extremely worthwhile. The technical knowledge you gain from highly experienced instructors from within the industry is second to none. The content of the course is exactly what employers want to see on the CV of a potential employee. It is not only the technical knowledge that sets this course apart, but the extra mile all the staff at Ubi‐ Tech go. My CV was transformed into something recognised within the industry and it was with the help of Ubi‐Tech putting me on to job opportunities that I landed a job within two weeks of completing the course and I am due to start in the next couple of weeks. For anyone who wants to work within the communications industry I highly recommend Ubi‐Tech as a resettlement provider. The staff were fantastic throughout the course and are willing to go the extra mile to help you, not only on the course but once you leave, be it with the PG Cert, advice for interviews or further job hunting. Get in touch Tel: 01527 893558 email: info@ubi‐tech.co.uk Web: www.ubi‐tech.co.uk See the advertisement on page 47
18 www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
ith a large and ever‐expanding presence in the rail industry, Linbrooke is dedicated to providing national and global businesses with quality and comprehensive network solutions – specialising principally in all facets of engineering, telecommunications, power and signalling. Working together with ntrs, its training and recruitment partner, Linbrooke strives to continuously deliver high‐class training to safeguard the health of rail commerce and to ensure the workforce is the best they can be. Boasting a nationwide reputation for quality and efficiency, Linbrooke is made up of a loyal and close‐knit team – 40% of whom are ex‐military personnel. With a state‐of‐the‐art National Training Academy endorsed by the Secretary of State for Transport, Linbrooke is equipped to provide full turnkey training for all aspects of telecoms, signalling, and on and off rail power. As a company led by Lee Hallam – former Royal Marine and C Group charity board member – Linbrooke works alongside the MoD in order to provide resettlement programmes for individuals making the transition to civilian life. These programmes can lead to multiple jobs, accreditations and qualifications, as well as drastically improving the potentially difficult shift out of the Services. Ian Ronald, who trained at the NTA to become one of Linbrooke’s Assistant Delivery Engineers, states that ‘Joining Linbrooke has quashed my negative feelings about leaving the Armed Forces; it provides a diverse and challenging environment, and it is reassuring to know that I am in an
organisation with a lot of like‐minded people.’ With its quality‐driven, ‘can do’ ethos, Linbrooke is dedicated to being the best. The dedication, perseverance and loyalty of ex‐military personnel continuously complements this standard and has thus far assisted Linbrooke in gaining a positive reputation and becoming more than just an enterprise, but a family. Get in touch Tel: 0114 2328290 email: training@ntrs.co.uk See the advertisement on page 40
Health and safety qualifications can open up new job prospects
ealth and safety is a growing industry, and NEBOSH qualifications are the most sought after by employers in the UK for health and safety jobs. Two‐thirds of job adverts for health and safety manager roles specify at least one NEBOSH qualification, with well over a third demanding a NEBOSH National General Certificate. OMS, a training and consultancy specialist based in Leicestershire, offers a wide range of training courses to ex‐Forces personnel, and the good news is that it is government funded. Whether you are seeking a change of occupation or just looking to add new skills to your CV, there is something for everyone. Carl Ormerod of OMS says: ‘Over the years, we’ve had many ex‐Forces delegates on our courses who had previously struggled to find work after leaving the Services but after undergoing training
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and receiving a recognised qualification in health and safety, things have turned around for them. Many of our trainers are ex‐Service personnel themselves, so we understand the challenges people face when they look for work or try to move to a better career.’ There are a variety of health and safety training packages on offer at OMS, from the NEBOSH National General Certificate and NEBOSH Certificate in Construction Health & Safety to NEBOSH Fire Safety & Risk Management. Corporal Phil Taber, a delegate on several OMS health and safety courses, says: ‘All the instructors have a wealth of knowledge and practical experience that really comes across in their teaching. Being an injured soldier, their flexible approach allowed me to fit the training around my medical requirements, which was really helpful.’ If you are seeking a Forces funded course in the East Midlands, OMS can help. Call us to discuss the training qualifications and how they are relevant to a career that suits you. You can also email OMS or visit our website for more information. Get in touch Tel: 0845 199 1912 email: info@oms.uk.com Web: www.oms.uk.com See the advertisement on page 21
Health and safety
Health and safety What’s involved? he role of the workplace health and safety (H&S) adviser is to offer the expert skills and knowledge necessary to promote a positive H&S culture within a business or organisation. H&S advisers play a vital role in helping to prevent and control occupational risk, demonstrating that H&S has moved away from reactive, accident‐ based management towards a more preventative approach, as highlighted by NEBOSH’s Certificate in the Management of Health and Well‐being at Work; you can find out more about this qualification at www.neboshhealthandwellbeing.org.uk Stress prevention and management continue to be highlighted in the media (not always positively), along with attempts to reduce the number of creative ‘sickies’ thrown by workers wanting a day off.
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Where do H&S advisers work?
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H&S advisers are based in a huge range of organisations – from small consultancies to multinationals – and work in partnership with a host of different people, from employees and employers, to trades unions and directors. They are responsible for
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ensuring that all current H&S legislation is adhered to, and policies and practices adopted. They help to plan, implement, monitor and review the preventative and protective measures that companies are required or choose to follow, and they work to minimise accidents and injuries, occupational health problems and operational losses. Employers must appoint ‘competent’ people with responsibility for H&S, irrespective of the size or undertaking of their organisation. A ‘competent’ person is somebody with sufficient experience, training, knowledge and/or other qualities to undertake the role, particularly risk assessment. Because there is a requirement in law to employ such a person, training and experience are legal necessities for the management of H&S. A breach of H&S law is a criminal offence that can result in fines, imprisonment, or both. Smaller organisations will often make the H&S ‘competent’ person function one part of a job, with the individual concerned responsible for it as part of their role while doing another job too. Larger organisations will employ a specialist (or specialists), or use a consultancy.
H&S skills gained in the Services The Armed Forces have individuals in all branches and trades who have some practical experience and awareness of H&S at work. Most people work for at least some of the time in potentially hazardous environments or with dangerous equipment, or both. Indeed, many people actively involved in H&S work may not even recognise that is what they are doing, or they may regard it as a relatively unimportant part of their job. Many have benefited from the Forces‐ run modular environmental training courses in H&S, leading to a certificate, which offer the opportunity to gain qualifications during Service. Many Forces people are currently in posts that would enable them to gain significant H&S qualifications (N/SVQs or NEBOSH awards). If you are coming to the end of your Service career, there are H&S courses aimed at the potential manager who sees the subject being part of a job description (e.g. the IOSH Certificate in Managing Safely) or the person looking to specialise in this field (e.g. the NEBOSH National General Certificate).
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
t sa k e u ric y Se tte Ma Ca th 14
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Health and safety
I DID IT! Name: Gary Burden Courses: NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management; NEBOSH Certificate in Construction Safety
Get qualified! All occupational H&S practitioners need a common core of knowledge in order to practise effectively.
NEBOSH NEBOSH (with around 50,000 people taking its qualifications annually) offers its National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which is seen as the qualification for aspiring health and safety professionals, designed to provide students with the expertise required to undertake a career as a safety and health practitioner. The qualification also
TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS The qualities and experience that are essential for an H&S professional will be familiar to most military people: • self-confidence • attention to detail • systematic approach to work situations • supervisory and managerial skills • diversity of work environment • a determination to achieve • flexibility • wide-ranging responsibilities • the ability to analyse what went wrong and, importantly, how to put it right.
THE ‘BIG THREE’ ORGANISATIONS IN H&S 1.
2.
3.
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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – a government body that ensures risks to health and safety from work situations are properly controlled. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) – the professional body for H&S practitioners. The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) – an independent awarding body for H&S qualifications (universities and other bodies also provide qualifications recognised by IOSH).
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provides a sound basis for progression to postgraduate study. It assumes prior learning equivalent to the National General Certificate, and, to date, more than 10,000 passes have been awarded. Exams are held each year in January and July, and the syllabus comprises four core units; you can read about these in detail on the NEBOSH website (see ‘Key contacts’). Students may choose to take these individual units in any order over a five‐year period and will be awarded a certificate for each unit passed. In particular, N/SVQs at levels 3 and 4 in occupational health and safety practice provide people with good career opportunities. Recognised by the IOSH as being equivalent to the NEBOSH National Diploma, each takes approximately a year to achieve.
IOSH Membership of the IOSH (more than 44,000 members throughout the world, including more than 13,000 Chartered Safety and Health Practitioners) is seen as essential by most H&S professionals who are well beyond ‘competent’ person status and are specialising in the field. Grades of membership depend on a combination of qualifications, experience and achievement. You can find out more on the IOSH website (see ‘Key contacts’). For the manager interested in H&S, the IOSH also runs a series of courses that promote a culture of safe working. Its modular Managing Safely course, for example, is aimed at managers and supervisors in any sector or organisation. It aims to give them the information they need to help them handle all the main health and safety issues. Find out more on the IOSH website (again, please see ‘Key contacts’).
‘Like many, I was unsure exactly what I wanted to do when it came to resettlement and a second career. I went through the motions of resettlement and churned through the process, but without any clear direction, goals or ambitions I was unsure of my future career. I began to get more involved in health and safety in my new job, and decided that I enjoyed the challenges this type of work provided. I already held the NEBOSH National General Certificate when I met Steve, the programmes director, and his Team at Oak Tree, and had decided I wanted to progress my learning and forge a career in health and safety. ‘Like many other course providers, Oak Tree offers a range of packages. What Oak Tree was able to do which I’d found others wouldn’t, though, was change the package to suit my needs in terms of learning and finances. Using my ELC, I attended the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management and the NEBOSH Certificate in Construction Safety. The courses were held at Oak Tree’s learning centre just outside Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It’s about five minutes from the A14 and easily commutable from around East Anglia. They provide a good lunch too! ‘The classroom space was informal; there was a relaxed atmosphere and a range of delivery methods, from individual and group work to PowerPoint presentations. The small group size ensured a quality learning experience with knowledgeable tutors delivering current information and relating this to personal account. This aided understanding of the application of health and safety in terms of practical solutions. ‘The other students came from a mixture of backgrounds, which I feel added value – those with a non-military background had a very different perspective on things. All have since become useful professional contacts. Having completed the range of NEBOSH Certificates with Oak Tree my employment opportunities grew. I now have a full-time role with an established consultancy.’ Speak to Oak Tree about your career and training needs – your future could depend on it! Get in touch Tel: 01284 763040 email: steve@oaktree-training.co.uk Web: www.oaktree-training.co.uk/mod See the advertisement on page 25
We can prepare you for civilian life. Increase your employability by; r Delivering accredited in-house training for your new employer r 1SFTFOUJOH ZPVS GVUVSF FNQMPZFS XJUI BO BUUSBDUJWF QPSUGPMJP PG RVBMJÃ DBUJPOT r &OIBODJOH ZPVS $7 r $SFBUJOH B CFTQPLF &-$ QBDLBHF UP TVJU ZPVS FNQMPZNFOU OFFET r (BJOJOH JOUFSOBUJPOBMMZ SFDPHOJTFE /&#04) RVBMJÃ DBUJPOT r $POUJOVJOH ZPVS JO TFSWJDF QSPGFTTJPOBM EFWFMPQNFOU
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Health and safety
Other qualifications Scientific, engineering or technical degrees, HNDs, HNCs, National Diplomas and National Certificates are particularly appropriate for H&S. The Open University recognises many Service qualifications, and awards points towards degrees on production of the necessary evidence. There are also postgraduate qualifications in H&S, with particular emphasis on occupational, environmental and hygiene aspects. Some universities have MSc distance learning programmes that focus on H&S and lead towards corporate membership of the IOSH (see above) within one year. Training can be expensive, but there is financial help available (see ‘Factfile’).
Finding employment Openings in the health and safety sector include, for example, the pharmaceutical, chemical, medical devices and healthcare sectors – particularly for those with relevant experience. Vacancies can also occur within the police force, oil industry and construction industry. Good advice for job seekers is that employers tend to favour those job applicants who have good people management and interpersonal skills. Health and safety professionals should also keep their skills up to date. And, if they can bring a range of additional skills – such as
being able to provide in‐house training in areas like manual handling or first aid – that is another benefit as far as employers are concerned. In addition, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations outline the legal requirements for safety management issues – if anything, this increases the need for companies to employ ‘competent’ persons themselves, as opposed to dealing with safety issues via consultants. Jobs range from a small company employing an individual to a major organisation that has an entire safety team. Some companies specialise in H&S issues such as planning supervision, safety audits, engineering surveying and insurance company safety assessments. Facilities management is another sector where employment possibilities are enhanced by a safety qualification. As noted above, many employers look for H&S advisers to have training qualifications, and to be able to assess the need for, design and deliver safety training. The HSE employs inspectors and other staff through an online recruitment process. Trainees will usually spend their first two years training in the Field Operations Directorate. After that, some may be deployed into the Hazardous Installations Directorate to meet business needs or for personal development.
What can you earn? Salaries vary widely, depending upon appointment, location and type of company. Some roles within the NHS and education sectors offer salaries on the low side for the range of responsibilities required, but this is often offset by the benefit of longer‐term contracts. An hourly rate of around £50 for a self‐employed consultant is not unheard of, and some specialist roles can command daily rates of £550‐plus, although such contracts are rare. H&S trainers are also well paid by current standards. A NEBOSH National Diploma holder could earn over £25,000 per year, depending on experience and managerial responsibility, and directors and heads of H&S can earn in the region of £50,000– £60,000.
KEY CONTACTS Health & Safety Executive, Tel: 0300 003 1747 email: advice@hse.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.hse.gov.uk Twitter: @H_S_E Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Tel: 0116 257 3100 email: reception@iosh.co.uk Web: www.iosh.co.uk Twitter: @IOSH_tweets National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), Tel: 0116 263 4700 email: info@nebosh.org.uk Web: www.nebosh.org.uk Twitter: @NEBOSHTweets
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Security
Security What’s involved? any people protect themselves, their families, their businesses and their property by employing security companies to safeguard them against criminal and terrorist threats. Security is currently high on the UK agenda and, as a result, the market is strong and expanding, and offers a host of roles – as outlined in this feature – to those looking to work in this diverse sector.
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The major security organisations The Security Industry Authority (SIA) The Security Industry Authority (SIA) aims to reduce criminality and raise quality standards within the private security industry. The following sectors or activities must be covered by an SIA licence: ● Manned Guarding, which includes ‐ Cash and Valuables in Transit ‐ Close Protection ‐ Door Supervision ‐ Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) ‐ Security Guarding ● Key Holding ● Immobilisation, Restriction and Removal of Vehicles. The SIA is currently developing its approach to the licensing of private investigation activities (see box). To gain an SIA licence, applicants must attend an approved training course, attain nationally recognised qualifications (see the
HOW MUCH DOES AN SIA LICENCE COST?
26
The SIA’s licence application fee is £220 for a threeyear licence, except for front-line vehicle immobiliser licences where the fee is £220 for a one-year licence. Some people may need more than one licence; in such cases the second licence will be discounted by 50%.
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
box on the SIA’s modular training scheme), and undergo identity and criminal records checks. Everyone working under contract in licensable sectors needs to be licensed; this includes employees, managers, supervisors and directors of security companies.
The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is the trade association for the
professional security industry in the UK. Its members work in: ● access control ● associate (suppliers of products or services) ● cash and property marking ● cash and valuables in transit ● closed‐circuit TV (CCTV) ● civil aviation security ● close protection ● crowd management
MODULAR TRAINING FROM THE SIA The SIA has implemented licence-linked qualifications, bringing training up to date and implementing a modular structure. The specifications reflect current industry best practice so that individuals working, or wishing to work, in security undergo good basic training for their specific role. To apply for a licence (with a couple of exceptions),* you need to take two compulsory modules: Common Security Industry Knowledge (the ‘Common Module’) and Conflict Management. Once you have attained the compulsory module(s), you can then ‘bolt on’ the relevant specialist modules for the sector in which you wish to work and obtain a licence (e.g. Door Supervision, Security, Cash and Valuables in Transit, Close Protection, Public Space Surveillance (CCTV), Vehicle Immobiliser). (For all other licence-linked qualifications, the SIA will accept the modular qualification(s) for the relevant sector and a current qualification, as long as it is less than three years since it was awarded.) This structure, with core-plus-specialist modules (see table), means less overlap and duplication in content across sectors, which makes it easier to qualify to obtain more than one licence, as only the required and relevant training will need to be taken for each additional qualification. Licence Door Supervision Security Close Protection Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) Cash and Valuables in Transit Vehicle Immobiliser
Common Specialist module module ✓ Door Supervision ✓ Security Close Protection ✓ Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) ✓ Cash and Valuables in Transit ✓ Vehicle Immobiliser
Conflict Management ✓ ✓ ✓
Physical Intervention Skills ✓
✓
Source: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk To find out more, visit http://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/training.aspx
*The Conflict Management module is not compulsory for those wishing to attain Cash and Valuables in Transit or Public Space Surveillance (CCTV) licences; the Door Supervision licence requires applicants to take an additional module in Physical Intervention Skills; the Close Protection licence covers the ‘Common Module’ as part of its specialist module, so it does not need to be taken separately.
Security
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
export council information destruction leisure industry security physical security equipment police and public services security consultancy security equipment distributors security equipment manufacturers security guarding security systems.
Skills for Security Working alongside the BSIA is Skills for Security, the skills body for the security industry. It is the skills and standards‐ setting body for the sector, responsible for working with employers and other stakeholders to deliver a range of educational and related services to improve skills, raise professionalism and enhance business performance.
Security skills gained in the Services Service people spend a great deal of their lives thinking about, planning and
PRIVATE INVESTIGATION UPDATE! The SIA is currently developing its approach to the licensing of private investigation activities. It has already endorsed a qualification and 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 in future. The government expects the new regulations to license private investigation activities to come into force in 2015. Anyone involved in providing contracted private investigation services will then 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. Please check the SIA website (see ‘Key contacts’) for the latest available information.
TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS The personal qualities for which people are selected to work in security, and which are then developed during training, are highly relevant, and you may well possess many of the skills that security employers look for. You will need to be: • physically fit, and • able to patrol an area, take note of what you see and write a report. The following skills are also vital: • the ability to work as part of a team • common sense • integrity • courage • ability to react to the unexpected • self-reliance, and • self-confidence.
implementing security. Part of basic and more advanced training in some parts of the Forces is the accumulation of units leading to national and Scottish vocational qualifications in security.
Get qualified! During resettlement a range of intruder alarm and security systems installation courses are available. Modules start at the most basic level, moving through intruder alarms, to access control and CCTV, and should provide sufficient knowledge to allow you to visit premises and quote for contracts. For the manned guarding sector, there are also specialised programmes to prepare Service leavers for all sectors of this field. In addition, there are security management courses available if you wish to convert your security and management expertise into a recognised qualification. For specialist dog work (see below), ex‐ military dog handlers/trainers will find it easier to gain a route into this sector, but it is possible, with the right aptitude and training, for people from other Service roles to succeed in this area, too. As mentioned above, Skills for Security develops standards and training for the industry. A list of the national occupational standards that have been approved to date can be accessed via its website (see ‘Key contacts’). As well as vocational qualifications, it has also co‐developed industry‐led apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship programmes.
Job roles in the security industry Static and mobile security guards Most security is carried out by static guards who patrol premises, and use CCTV and surveillance equipment. They will probably have radios, and may combine security with gate control and reception duties. Some will use dogs. Mobile guards use vans to patrol a number of establishments, while cash‐in‐ transit guards protect money and other valuables.
Store security officers Store security officers usually work more than 40 hours a week, Monday to Saturday,
sometimes operating in plain clothes as store detectives. They check for shoplifting, that delivery contents are correct, and deal with general emergencies such as sick customers and lost children. To work in this field, you will need good interpersonal skills, and the ability to produce written reports and give evidence in any case of theft where you have made a citizen’s arrest.
Security alarm fitters Security alarm fitters install and maintain systems that have ideally been planned by a trained surveyor. They have to make good any damage, and could be working anywhere from a small private house to a modern office block. They work normal weekday hours with some requirement for overtime, jobs at weekends and response to emergency call‐outs. Much of their work involves cramped conditions and working at heights.
Locksmiths Locksmiths install and maintain security devices, including locks and safes, in commercial and private premises. They cut keys and can often work closely with security alarm specialists. They often provide a 24‐ hour call‐out service. (To find out more, see the separate feature on page 30.)
Specialist dog handling As well as the dogs used to patrol premises alongside ‘static’ security guards, another facet of security work that can offer a range of opportunities is specialist dog handling – e.g. working with a ‘sniffer’ dog. In partnership with a correctly trained dog, this kind of employment can include explosive device and narcotic detection, and searching for cash, bodies, firearms, oil leaks and even SIM cards. Work with a search and rescue dog might range from earthquake zones at one end of the scale to searching for lost hill walkers at the other. Sniffer dog handlers can work worldwide. For example, in recent years private‐sector search teams have routinely been used in conflict areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan to support the military and to help with private companies rebuilding damaged infrastructure. The nature of this work relies on the handler being flexible,
KEY ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS FOR A SECURITY OFFICER
DO I NEED MY OWN DOG?
• • • • • • • • • •
It isn’t necessary to have a dog already. Some training companies provide their own dogs with a view to the company employing the ‘team’ after training. Others are happy for the handler to use their own untrained dog, which might necessitate successfully passing a pre-course assessment. Others still will take handlers with trained dogs, provided they have been certified by an external professional body and subsequently pass an inhouse assessment.
Honesty Communication skills Ability to deal with people Supervisory management Reception duties Looking after visitors First aid Mail handling Fire duties Driving (useful in some, but not all, jobs)
May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
27
Security
confident, dedicated and willing to learn, as well as having core skills such as being able to work safely using their own initiative, but being able to work as part of a team, too â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all skills that are wellâ&#x20AC;?established for exâ&#x20AC;? Service people. Working hours vary from a basic 35â&#x20AC;?hour week to several consecutive days when overseas, depending on what each client needs. Rates of pay can differ according to location, duration and complexity of work. An appropriate SIA course (see above) is a requirement to work in the civilian sector.
Security management roles Graduates and postgraduates Security managers need to have organisational and management skills, a knowledge of law and criminology, an acquaintance with risk theory and the ability to conduct a risk analysis. They should also know the principles of physical security and information security; they need to be familiar with computer security and contingency planning, and must be able to communicate their ideas professionally. Many employers look for a postgraduate qualification. Security industryâ&#x20AC;?specific qualifications, up to masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level, demonstrate knowledge of the relevant aspects of security and management, and give the individual personal and professional confidence.
The Security Institute
What can you earn?
There has been an increase in the range and nature of academic and vocational securityâ&#x20AC;? related qualifications, and security practitioners in management positions need their abilities to be understood clearly by employers, who have inevitably been confused by the mix of qualifications, experience and professional affiliations available. For this reason, the Security Institute (SyI) has developed a programme to assess security management experience, academic qualifications, vocational qualifications and contributions to the security profession through an independent professional validation board, which can award three grades of membership (Associate, Member and Fellow). The criteria considered are: â&#x2014;? work experience, including roles and areas of responsibility â&#x2014;? qualifications, including academic securityâ&#x20AC;?related and non securityâ&#x20AC;? related â&#x2014;? training, including nonâ&#x20AC;?examination vocational and nonâ&#x20AC;?vocational courses â&#x2014;? other contributions, such as publications written, and participation in projects and work outside direct employment.
Because of the wide range of job opportunities available in this industry it is difficult to offer specific information about rates of pay â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although it is generally true to say that larger organisations tend to offer broader benefits but with lower basic pay, while smaller firms compete by offering higher pay but fewer benefits. Starting salaries may be comparatively low, but increase with training and experience, and there are opportunities to earn considerably more for operating advanced equipment and working in highâ&#x20AC;?risk situations. Overtime is likely to increase the overall value of any package.
KEY CONTACTS British Security Industry Association, Tel: 0845 389 3889 Web: www.bsia.co.uk Twitter: @thebsia Security Industry Authority, Tel: 0844 892 1025 Web: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk Twitter: @SIAuk Security Institute, Tel: 0845 370 7717 email: info@security-institute.org Web: www.security-institute.org Twitter: @SyInstitute Skills for Security, Tel: 01905 744000 email: info@skillsforsecurity.org.uk Web: www.skillsforsecurity.org.uk Twitter: @Skills4Security
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Locksmithing
A career as a locksmith What’s involved? eing a locksmith requires many different skills sets and, complemented by adequate and relevant training, it can be a rewarding and respected career. Due to the nature of the role, the practical side of the job is understandably very varied depending on the location, job scenario and customer. Many locksmiths love the challenge that this presents on a daily basis and, because the majority of the work is light, it suits people from many walks of life. Being a ‘people person’ is a must: the vast proportion of time the locksmith will potentially be dealing with people in many stressful situations. Imagine how you would feel if you had just been burgled or have locked yourself out of your property … The locksmith is required to deal with members of the public in similar situations, so needs to be understanding and sympathetic while getting the job completed. That’s why honesty and integrity are essential skills, as is the ability to think through a problem logically and see a job through to completion. Due to the nature of the role and the
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ACCREDITATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESS
30
There are currently no regulations governing the locksmithing industry and there are no governmentbacked qualifications. There are, however, a number of quality training providers offering courses at various levels offering an accreditation in locksmithing. On some courses, candidates are given the opportunity to have their skills assessed by industry experts in purpose-built, practical training environments. It is important that you do your best to check out exactly what kind of accreditation or qualification you will gain from a course before you part with any money.
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
skill set requirements previously highlighted, it is proven that the profile of a military Service leaver suits the role of a locksmith well, with many of the skills gained while serving in the military easily transferable to the role of locksmith.
Get qualified! Many years ago, the locksmithing industry was very insular and a difficult trade to get into. Nowadays, however, there are many training facilities throughout the UK giving up the secrets of the trade, and thus allowing easy access to the industry. Finding a good training facility is paramount to give the trainee the best possible start in their new career. Although the industry is not regulated by the government, the responsible training centres have gone the extra mile to ensure that they are independently regulated in order to raise the standards within the industry.
Finding employment As a locksmith, regardless of whether you are self‐employed, completing private work, or working with national or local smaller companies, the services of a skilled and highly trained locksmith will always be required at any domestic or commercial
TOP TIPS Having the correct training is of paramount importance. Ensure you are getting the best possible training for you … if a training course seems very cheap, there’s probably a good reason for that! Most locksmiths in the industry will train and operate as an ‘emergency locksmith’, and this will contribute to the majority of their workload, but look at other locksmiths in your area, try to identify any ‘niches’ within the region (cars, for example) and ensure that this additional skill set is in demand.
level. These requirements could be anything from working at a customer’s home, business or even vehicle, to much more complex work – for example, working on safes or complex electronic systems on large commercial sites. Working as an emergency reactive locksmith requires flexibility in terms of working hours, and there is a fair amount of time spent on the road travelling from job to job. A person that likes the idea of being their own boss would suit the role of a locksmith who doesn’t mind working odd hours and driving that extra mile to help a customer in distress. No one can say when they may require the services of a locksmith as most of the work is very reactive – so, needless to say, the locksmith must be prepared to drop everything and attend the customer in their hour of need. Because of this you will find that the locksmith industry is very recession‐proof because the majority of the work is not planned and is very reactive. A customer can’t say when they might find themselves locked out of their property, but when they do they have little choice than to seek the services of a professional locksmith.
Getting known As a self‐employed locksmith there are many opportunities to operate a successful business. And, as with any business, success will be governed by the amount of effort the individual puts in. If you are willing to put in the hard work and dedicate yourself to the smooth operation of your business, then it is most likely to succeed. Acknowledgement With thanks to Keytek™ Training Academy for supplying the information on careers in locksmithing. Keytek currently provides the highest level of training in the locksmithing industry, offering level 4 accreditation.
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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.
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31
Marketing
Marketing This popular field offers a wealth of opportunities and new directions – especially with firms’ current focus on the importance to their business of social media
What’s involved? career in marketing can be both interesting and rewarding. Marketing offers huge variety and presents diverse opportunities to develop your career in specialist areas. Whether your inclination is to work in advertising, data management, events and exhibitions, communications, or on the web, there are many marketing roles to choose from. As your marketing career progresses you can change course and adapt according to your acquired skills and ambitions. The newest and fastest‐growing area of marketing is digital marketing, covering
A
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www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
website management, online advertising, search engine optimisation and social media. Digital marketing requires specialist skills and it helps if you’re technically minded. Most company websites have a content management system that is pretty intuitive, but if you know HTML that’s a bonus – and for some positions, it’s a requirement! Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become so popular in recent years that many organisations now employ social media managers, responsible for proactively managing their pages on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, to name just a few. These social media specialists devise a strategy to determine which sites to engage with, build their following, generate business and measure their success. Other specialist roles in marketing include product management, new product
development, events management, advertising, communications, public relations, international marketing, brand management, database management and customer relationship management. Fortunately, there’s no need to make your mind up straight away on which area, if any, you want to specialise in. A generic marketing course should cover a little of everything and teach the principles of marketing, which cross all boundaries. Once you learn the foundations of marketing, you’ll be equipped to apply for any marketing and communications position that suits your aspirations and experience. If you want to, you can study to a higher level, specialise, or just develop your role and see where it takes you.
Get qualified! There are numerous training opportunities in marketing. The Chartered Institute of
Marketing
Marketing (CIM) is the best‐known professional body for marketing qualifications and offers a route to Chartered Marketer status. Its qualifications are well respected and offered by different training providers across the UK and overseas. It also offers specialist courses in digital marketing. The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) is arguably less well known, but if direct marketing communications is your passion (any communication that goes directly to the customer) then this might be a better route to follow. The IDM has a very good reputation and its courses are also available across the UK. The syllabuses of the CIM and the IDM can be compared online (to do so, visit their websites, as listed in ‘Key contacts’). Other marketing courses will also lay down the foundations of marketing – understanding your market and their needs, segmenting, targeting, and communicating appropriately to each target audience. You can start at a basic level or enter training at higher levels, right up to a master’s degree, depending on your previous academic achievements. If you’re confused by the choice, it can be helpful to look at what employers are asking for. When I started my marketing career, employers wanted marketing degrees or CIM qualifications, so I took the CIM route as I already had a degree in psychology and wanted to study part‐time.
Is marketing for you? The field of marketing is so diverse that there is plenty of scope to find an area that interests you. However, there’s one myth that needs eliminating fast! Some people think marketing is glamorous and, as a general rule, this is untrue. You may find yourself lugging heavy boxes around exhibition centres, putting up exhibition stands and spending evenings smiling at people in Olympia’s Great Hall when you’d rather be in the pub with friends (and that’s just on the events side). There are occasional dinners and more glamorous events, but they can be rare and, more often than not, you’ll be organising rather than attending them. So unless you’re a high‐
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? The following personal attributes can be helpful in a marketing career: • confidence and a positive attitude • excellent communication skills • attention to detail • the ability to work to deadlines • an aptitude for teamwork • a flair for relationship building • negotiation skills.
profile executive in a wealthy company that everyone wants to befriend, that glamorous marketing career, full of wining and dining, is unlikely to come to fruition! On the plus side, if you’re creative, then a career in marketing communications can help you develop your writing skills and unleash your creative thinking. The most creative people are often drawn to specialist advertising or marketing agencies that build their reputations on their exceptional creative flare. Marketers working in low‐ budget organisations like colleges, or in SMEs where cash flow is tight, may have the opportunity to do graphic design in‐house, but most work with specialist design agencies and some work with copywriters, too. If you love social media, then digital marketing might be right up your street. And, if the hustle and bustle of events is
SALARIES Earnings vary enormously in marketing, from the minimum wage as a marketing assistant or trainee, to highly paid positions as the marketing director of a global company. The Marketing Week Salary Survey 2014 says that marketing managers in London and the south-east earned an average of £50,234 and £44,969, respectively, compared to £33,892 in Scotland and £21,850 in Northern Ireland. Executives can expect to earn considerably less, but different parts of the country and different industries vary, and those marketers in the automotive, alcoholic drinks and TV sectors are the best paid. It’s also worth knowing that the specialist marketing press and specialist marketing websites usually advertise much better paid jobs than generic recruitment websites.
your thing, you could get a real buzz out of seeing your event run smoothly. Even opportunities like database management and customer relationship management (CRM) can provide a high level of job satisfaction when your campaigns go well and you know that your data are clean. And many people just enjoy the diversity of being a marketing generalist with all the variety it provides!
Getting a foot in the door Once you’re qualified, you need to tailor your CV to show how your experience makes you a strong contender for a marketing role. Think through your skills and experience, and highlight relevant attributes like presentation skills, experience working at events, computer skills and media communications. It all helps to improve your profile. If you’re lacking experience, charities often have opportunities within local branches, to help out in public relations. This can give you experience dealing with the press, in advertising or in social media management. It need only take an hour a week, depending on what you commit to. You can devote as much or as little time as you like to it, but the experience it gives you could prove invaluable!
KEY CONTACTS Chartered Institute of Marketing, Tel: 01628 427120 email: membership@cim.co.uk Web: www.cim.co.uk Twitter: @CIMinfo Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing, Tel: 020 8614 0277 email: enquiries@theidm.com Web: www.theidm.com Twitter: @theidm
May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
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Smart meter installation
Get qualified!
SMART METERS
Connect with the facts and become an installer! What’s involved? he government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has stated that it wants to see smart meters installed in every home in Great Britain by the end of 2020. Making sure that enough technical and support staff are trained and able to implement this plan is an enormous challenge. The rollout of smart meters is considered to be the largest programme ever undertaken: it involves visits to 30 million homes and 2 million small businesses to replace both electricity and gas meters. It is likely that most households will have smart meters installed by their energy company some time between 2015 and 2020, although some energy companies are already starting to install them: by the end of last year, almost 300,000 smart meters had already been fitted in domestic properties in Great Britain. The latest DECC figures show that 98,644 smart meters were installed in homes across Great Britain in the period from January to March 2014. It is clear, then, that there is an increasing demand for the many trained smart meter installers needed to deliver the DECC’s targets, which makes it an employment route well worth considering. As a smart meter installer and technician, you are likely to work for between 35 and 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, fitting new gas and electricity meters in customers’ homes and businesses. You may also be part of a standby rota for jobs outside normal working hours, which could include weekends and, therefore, overtime pay. Some installation sites may be outdoors, so you should be prepared work in all weathers. During the installation process, you will also demonstrate to customers how to use their new meters, as well as provide impartial energy efficiency advice (although you won’t be required to sell energy plans or tariffs).
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You might find yourself working for one of the major energy companies, or perhaps for a smaller firm that has a contract to install smart meters. Whoever your employer, they would normally provide you with a van to get from job to job, which means that a full UK driving licence is required. Once the meters have been installed you may also be called upon to maintain and repair them later – which is worth remembering as it extends the job role well beyond the initial rollout period. So, if you have good practical skills, get on well with people from all walks of life, and are looking for a new career that gets you out and about, this could well be the right job for you!
Have you got what it takes? Appropriate training is being developed for all the different types of staff involved in the smart meter rollout – from installers to those designing and manufacturing the meters. The main challenge, though, will be to identify and train installers who have both dual‐fuel technical skills as well as the ‘softer’ skills required to explain clearly to customers how to use their new smart meter. This dual‐fuel cross‐training and upskilling is a key training need. Indeed, a spokesperson for one of the main UK utility companies has said that, ‘Field force engineers will have to have dual‐fuel capability, know how to commission the communications for the smart meter, pair up the in‐home display (IHD) device and explain to the customer how it works. This requires a much broader set of technical and softer skills than is normally expected from a meter installer.’ You are also likely to need background checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before you can work in people’s homes. Your employer would arrange for these to be carried out.
Smart meter installation qualifications have recently been developed and accredited for both gas and electricity, and now Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills), whose qualifications are funded by the National Skills Academy for Power (NSAP), is developing an intermediate level (level 2) apprenticeship in Dual Fuel to support the government’s smart meter strategy. City & Guilds offers a qualification – Smart Metering (7428) – which is aimed at those installing gas or electrical smart meters, and allows candidates to learn, develop and practise the skills required to install and maintain smart meters and communication devices. The gas and dual‐ fuel pathways lead to Gas Safe registration for those working in the gas and power industries installing and maintaining smart meters. Some of the major utility companies have also taken the initiative to provide suitable training. A spokesperson for Eon‐ UK, for example, says the company ‘has helped develop a smart metering qualification, which is aligned to our current training offerings, and is now supporting the work to develop an apprenticeship route. We are also hoping to be one of the first organisations to gain accreditation from NSAP for the quality of our smart meter training programmes and academies.’ As well as specific smart meter training courses, qualifications in maths, English, science, design and technology, or electronics would all be useful. Many of the big energy companies offer apprenticeships in ‘Smart Metering – Dual Fuel’, which can take six to nine months to complete. These
WHAT IS A SMART METER? Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters, offering a range of intelligent functions, which include telling consumers how much energy they are using via a display in their home or business. The meter is an electronic device that records the consumption of energy; unlike previous models, though, it enables two-way communication between the meter and the central system, which means that information can be communicated back to the utility company at least daily, for monitoring and billing purposes – there is no need for someone to visit the property to read the meter as is currently the case with ‘traditional’ meters. Smart meters allow customers to keep track of how much energy they use in real time, and let them to see which of their appliances use the most power. The aim is to help them reduce their energy usage and so cut bills. Smart meters bring a range of benefits for consumers: they offer near real-time information on energy use, expressed in pounds and pence, allowing them to better manage their energy use and get accurate bills, as they are billed only for energy actually used.
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Smart meter installation
WHAT DO SMART METER INSTALLERS DO? A typical job might follow this pattern: • visit the customer’s premises at the appointed time • remove the existing meter • fit the new smart meter • carry out tests to make sure the new meter is working correctly • explain to the customer how to read the meter information and how to alter the settings to get the most from it • answer any further questions the customer may have.
combine classroom‐based learning with on‐ the‐job experience, working alongside a qualified smart meter installer. You can also learn how to install smart meters if you are training to be a gas installation engineer on the Gas Industry Apprenticeship. As a trainee installer, you would combine technical training with work placements and receive mentoring from a qualified member of staff. You could also work towards the level 2 Diploma in Smart Metering. This qualification has three options – power, gas or dual‐fuel – and you choose the one that covers the meters you will work with. Training in gas or dual‐fuel smart meters will also lead to your inclusion on the Gas Safe Register, which demonstrates that you are qualified to install meters safely. Once qualified, your employer will also certify you as competent through the Meter Operation Code of Practice Agreement (MOCOPA).
TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS As a smart meter installer, you will need: • an aptitude for maths • sound practical skills • good organisational skills • excellent customer care skills • the ability to work alone • excellent communication skills to explain how meters work • self-motivation and a commitment to your own career development • an awareness of safe working practices.
Check out the individual energy suppliers’ websites for details of their training schemes. You can find a full list of suppliers via Ofgem ( see ‘Key contacts’).
complete and there will continue to be a wave effect’, and ‘there will be an ongoing role for the meter installation workforce’.
Finding employment
Please note that the figures given here are a rough guide only. Trainees can start on around £13,000 a year. Once qualified, this could rise to £21,000. Experienced installers working on short‐term contracts may be able to earn between £24,000 and £30,000. Some companies may include expenses and mileage as part of the salary package. At least in the early years, it seems likely that cross‐ trained installers will be in high demand and will consequently be able to command salaries that are higher than average.
Due to the ongoing rollout of the UK Smart Metering Programme, prospects for trained staff are good. Although the main effort to install smart meters in homes and small businesses will take place between 2015 and 2020, some work is already under way. To get involved, you need to apply directly to energy suppliers or installation contractors for a trainee position. You may also be able to get in through an apprenticeship scheme. You could find work with an energy company, construction firm, specialist installation firm or housing association. With experience, you could become a team leader or estimator, or set up your own installation business. With further training, you could become an energy efficiency consultant, or move into gas or electrical engineering with an energy company. It is thought that the staff involved in the rollout will be a mixture of current employees, new recruits and subcontractors. Some companies have estimated that, at peak times, they will potentially need four times their current level of staff. Conservative estimates from EU Skills’ workforce planning model (based on a dual‐ fuel installer scenario) suggest that up to 6,300 installers will be required to complete the smart metering rollout across the UK between 2014 and 2019. EU Skills also indicates that, with a high proportion of the existing metering workforce approaching the average retirement age for the industry over the next five years, there could be a need for around 4,000 new recruits during this period. If these projections are correct, and the rollout does create a wealth of new jobs, what will happen to these employees at the end of the rollout period? As mentioned above, there will still be a need for maintenance and repair technicians. Experts in the field have commented that, ‘no programme is ever
Rough guide to salaries
KEY CONTACTS CITB, Tel: 0344 994 4400 Web: www.citb.co.uk Twitter: @CITB_UK City & Guilds, Tel: 0844 543 0000 Web: www.cityandguilds.com Twitter: @city_and_guilds Energy & Utility Skills Limited, Tel: 0845 077 9922 Web: www.euskills.co.uk Twitter: @EUSkills Gas Safe Register, Tel: 0800 408 5500 email: enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk Web: www.gassaferegister.co.uk Twitter: @GasSafeRegister Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (Semta), Tel: 0845 643 9001 email: customerservices@semta.org.uk Web: www.semta.org.uk Twitter: @SemtaSkills Think Power (for comprehensive information on careers in the power industry) Web: www.thinkpowersector.co.uk You may also find the following links useful for general reading: • Ofgem (for a list of energy suppliers) www.ofgem.gov.uk • gov.uk – visit www.gov.uk and search for ‘smart meter’ • Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk • Energy UK www.energy-uk.org.uk
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Rail industry
Rail industry
What’s involved? ail offers an environmentally friendly way to transport people and freight around the country. Within the sector, many different career opportunities are available, fuelled by the fast growth of the industry, which has created demand for enthusiastic people with new ideas to meet the challenges that lie ahead. UK train operating companies (TOCs) like Virgin, First and National Express run passenger train services and want people who can look after their customers at stations or on their trains. They also want people to drive their high‐speed or metro trains, and technicians to look after their complex equipment. Network Rail is the national organisation that looks after the rail track and signals; it needs people who understand how to make a complex
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system work efficiently. Many other organisations supply goods and services – such as caterers, consultants and contractors. Designing and building trains is an international industry, with multinational companies using their worldwide experience. There are also public‐sector jobs working for government departments or agencies. The structure of Britain’s rail industry has featured in the news a great deal in recent months – particularly with regard to the highly controversial HS2 high‐speed rail link. This is just part of the radical overhaul of the UK rail system to which the government has pledged investment, aiming to achieve greater efficiency, reduced congestion, environmental benefits and lower fares. ‘The key to better value for money,’ confirms the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), ‘is a more commercial railway that releases
the full potential of the private sector and puts the passenger at its heart’. Such an approach is sure to have a fundamental effect on the face of the industry, with projects such as the aforementioned HS2 – which, it is planned, will connect London and Birmingham at speeds of up to 250mph – and the new western rail link to Heathrow in the media spotlight, there is light to be seen at the end of this particular tunnel for those wishing to take up a new career in this burgeoning industry.
Rail-related skills gained in the Services The Royal Logistic Corps are the British Army’s railway experts. Soldiers from 79 Port Enabling Squadron, which belongs to 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, part of the Royal Logistic Corps, use their specialist expertise on operations to provide
Rail industry
technical liaison and advice between a host nation and the relevant military headquarters, to maximise the use of any rail network available to a commander. Rail can provide an excellent transport resource for heavy and bulk items. For example, in Kosovo, rail provided an important logistical link between the landlocked state and its neighbour’s seaport, enabling vehicles and supplies to be quickly transported. More recently, British Army rail operators were used in southern Iraq to help get port rail facilities up and running. Many military movements use rail transport, large supply depots will often include loading and unloading facilities, and the use of troop and medical evacuation trains is quite normal. Indeed, establishing a railhead, as well as a port and airhead, is an early priority in any expeditionary operation to enable bulk shipment of manpower and material.
Finding employment The variety of different jobs in the rail transport sector means that there are several different routes into it. At entry level, good maths, English and IT skills are in demand, while, for more senior roles, technical and business‐related qualifications are in demand, along with the range of soft skills highlighted in the ‘Translate your skills’ box. Despite the recessionary gloom lingering in some sectors, the future for railways remains remarkably bright. Both passenger and freight transportation
demand remains high and is predicted to continue to grow, as road gridlock becomes ever more common and fuel prices increase. New and improved railway lines are planned for the near future (such as the new high‐speed rail network mentioned above), so it seems that rail travel is definitely here to stay. You can find more detailed information about the kinds of career opportunities offered by the rail industry on the Network Rail website – see www.networkrail.co.uk/ careers – where the following key roles are designated and described: ● project engineer ● project manager ● project planner ● scheme project manager
WANT TO BE A TRAIN DRIVER? If you are interested in becoming a train driver, visit the website of Careers that Move, an organisation that – as its name suggests – focuses on careers in the passenger transport sector (see ‘Key contacts’). Created following the merger of former Sector Skills Council GoSkills with People 1st, Careers that Move offers career-seekers an array of tools designed to support them in their job search in this industry – and that includes all those who would like to become a train driver. To find out more about this particular career, visit careersthatmove.co.uk and click on ‘A career in passenger transport and travel’ followed by ‘The industry’. Here you will find a video offering career advice on becoming a train driver (among other transport roles).
site manager signaller ● track maintenance operative ● customer service assistant ● HR administrator ● team organiser. The aforementioned developments planned for the rail sector add up to a growing demand for new staff on the railways, although the industry already has recruitment problems at all levels, particularly in specialist engineering positions. One significant development has been the requirement placed on Network Rail’s contractors to employ more staff directly and rely less on agencies, in an attempt to improve standards in the quality of new build, with the in‐house management of maintenance also calling for new staff. Indeed, Network Rail has announced that it is in the process of creating more skilled engineering jobs to help deliver some of Britain’s most vital rail infrastructure projects. And its award‐winning Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme offers a three‐year ● ●
TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS The following general skills will normally be required of those wishing to work in the rail industry: • people skills – customer care and teamworking • technical skills – IT and engineering skills for some roles • commercial skills – an understanding of the marketplace and the ability to optimise resources.
May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
43
Rail industry
programme for candidates to become skilled maintenance engineering technicians. Find out more on the ‘Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme’ Facebook page. In particular, there is a lot of competition for train driver positions, with many TOCs actively seeking to recruit drivers. The job has come a long way from the schoolboy dream, with today’s driver having a critical safety role, and needing to undergo a rigorous aptitude test and training programme. Qualifications are less important than the ability to think clearly and concentrate, and rewards reflect the importance of the person in the cab, who can attract a salary of around £35,000. TOCs are also finding it difficult to recruit customer service staff to work at stations and on trains. These positions need few formal qualifications, but they do require an ability to deal with the travelling public. Network Rail has a significant shortage of signallers and is seeking new recruits. As with driving, the job of regulating train movements demands attention to detail rather than a long list of qualifications. Infrastructure maintenance organisations employ a small core staff,
44 www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
and there are vacancies for workers to maintain the track and signalling structures. Skill levels vary from technical staff with engineering experience and qualifications, to gangs of track maintainers who need physical strength and can work in all weathers. Many specialist agencies work under contract to supply such people. This can provide flexible working, good pay rates and entry into the industry. There are also management and engineering opportunities. Rail is very much a people business, with many staff and even more passengers, and there is significant demand for experienced customer service managers. It is also a business that relies on getting the most out of limited physical resources, so those with a logistics background are in demand. Academic qualifications and practical experience help to secure the better‐paid management positions, but the most serious skill shortage remains in the engineering functions, which is why Network Rail has announced the creation of the more skilled engineering jobs; this is likely to be the case for some time to come. A good way to get more information about vacancies is via the internet. All the
train operators are linked through one central National Railways site operated by ATOC and virtually all the companies’ home pages include a job opportunities list. Network Rail has its own site (see ‘Key contacts’) with a useful job search facility and full details of the sorts of roles on offer. It is less simple to check for vacancies with subcontractors because these companies rely heavily on agency staff. There are many agencies, and several have websites offering work in maintenance, as well as other short‐term contract work at stations and on trains. For job opportunities see page 65
KEY CONTACTS ATOC Ltd, Tel: 0207 841 8000 email: enquiry@atoc.org Web: www.atoc.org Careers that Move, Web: careersthatmove.co.uk Twitter: @careersthatmove Network Rail, Tel: 0207 557 8000 Web: www.networkrail.co.uk Twitter: @networkrail
er re Ca
What’s involved? eisure, therapy and well‐being are part of one of the UK’s largest employment sectors, as well as one of the fastest‐growing sectors in the UK economy, focusing in particular on leisure pursuits, and the promotion of health and well‐being through an assortment of activities and therapies. The UK has thousands of leisure and health centres, gyms and recreational spaces for public use, and there is an increasing demand for skilled health and well‐being professionals and therapists – both in the private and public sectors. The leisure industry is vast, and continues to blossom as people seek more and more to balance their lives away from work with all kinds of experiences, either as a regular activity, or maybe as part of a holiday or special break. This makes opportunities for work within the sector incredibly varied – from administrative roles organising events to support roles such as mechanic (for example, on specialist cycling holidays) and instructor (which could cover outdoor activities such as rock climbing and abseiling). Opportunities abound and, for many new civilians, an added attraction might be a continuation of the ‘active outdoor’ mentality they had in the Services. More ‘active’ types of leisure work, with the potential to obtain work‐based qualifications, could include roles such as outdoor activities instructor, which might incorporate team‐building exercises, or working with younger or disadvantaged people, while undertaking a pursuit such as climbing, camping or sailing. However, there are plenty of ‘indoor’ opportunities, too. For example, if you are looking for part‐ or full‐ time employment with a chance to train on the job and you have an interest in cultural heritage/the arts, then a role such as museum assistant, for example, which requires a good standard of education, or cinema projectionist, which calls for relevant technical and mechanical skills, might be better options for you. If you live in a place of historic interest and would prefer self‐employed work, then training to become a tour guide might be a good option. An organisation like the Institute of Tourist Guiding (see ‘Key contacts’) can offer information on how to attain, say, Blue Badge status (the UK’s highest guiding qualification). Rates of pay can vary, but the bigger your client base, the higher your earnings (not forgetting the odd tip or two!). Well‐being (looking after our bodies and minds – and perhaps even considering some spiritual aspects to life) is an area that continues to expand as we try to find a less
L
frantic way of living in the 21st century. The good news for those wishing to work as a holistic or alternative therapist is that the training, in many areas, is relatively short and inexpensive, doesn’t require previous experience and can be undertaken part‐time. Work in this area is ideal if you prefer to be self‐employed or wish to develop your own business. Although some therapies – such as osteopathy, nutrition and Pilates – focus mainly on the physical benefits, many others such as yoga and meditation/mindfulness focus on the link between the physical, mental and spiritual in order to achieve overall good health. Taking an example that is more on the physical side, massage therapists generally work on the whole body, using a series of different strokes applied by their hands and fingers to manipulate soft body tissue in order to improve circulation, improve muscle tone, and relieve aches and pains. In general, however, you would need to have a real interest in your chosen area, and should be empathic, calm and able to communicate well with a variety of personality types. You could choose to work from your own home, at clients’ homes, or perhaps from a salon or spa, which would charge rent for the time you are there.
Relevant skills gained in the Services The sector will generally accept relevant Service training and experience, but you must be prepared to take additional courses or undergo assessment to reach official standards. General management, organisational and interpersonal skills and experience picked up in uniform can prove valuable to those wishing to set up as health and well‐being practitioners.
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Leisure, therapy and well-being
contacts’) can advise further on accredited courses and job vacancies. There is a vast array of training available in the well‐being sector, too. Many holistic/well‐being therapies are not officially regulated, though, so it is wise to check if they have a professional ‘governing body’ and whether you need to attain a qualification recognised by them in order to take out any practitioner insurances you might need. Training as a massage therapist – to give just one example – will take six months to a year full‐time, not least to become thoroughly familiar with whole‐body anatomy and physiology (A&P). However, if you already have a qualification in A&P, you could choose to massage just one part of the body using a technique such as Indian head massage. The training is shorter (and therefore cheaper), and the therapy itself can be delivered in a variety of settings – including workplaces. Do ensure, however, that your chosen course meets the criteria of a professional body like the General Council for Massage Therapy: www.gcmt.org.uk
What can you earn? The leisure sector is not particularly well paid, starting with the minimum wage, although if you choose to set up your own business as a well‐being practitioner your earnings are likely to be substantially higher (see below) although usually on an hourly‐ rate basis rather than a fixed salary. As far as holistic/well‐being therapies are concerned, a typical hourly rate for a self‐ employed Reiki practitioner could be anything between £20 and £70. A self‐ employed hypnotherapy practitioner could earn somewhere between £40 and £100 per one‐hour session, and – once qualified as a massage therapist – you could expect to earn up to £60 for a one‐hour session.
Get qualified! Many different qualifications and qualities can help with a career in the sectors on which our focus falls in this feature. Technical ability is usually critical, though, as are skills like effective communication, customer care, teamwork and interpersonal experience. In the leisure industry, entry into the more ‘outdoorsy’ side of this type of work is likely to require you to have skills in one or more outdoor activities, the ability to drive, and to hold appropriate first aid and life‐ saving certificates. You might also need Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance if you are working with children or groups of vulnerable people – see www.gov.uk/government/organisations/discl osure‐and‐barring‐service for details. The Institute of Outdoor Learning (see ‘Key
KEY CONTACTS Institute of Outdoor Learning Tel: 01228 564580 email: institute@outdoor-learning.org Web: www.outdoor-learning.org Twitter: @IOLOutdoorProfs Institute of Tourist Guiding Tel: 020 7953 8397 email: office@itg.org.uk Web: www.itg.org.uk Institute of Wellbeing Ltd Tel: 0700 2222 700 email: support@tiow.org Web: www.theinstituteofwellbeing.com Twitter: @iWellBeing Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT) Tel: 02380 684 500 email: customersupport@vtct.org.uk Web: www.vtct.org.uk Twitter: @VTCT_uk
May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
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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
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In-Service
eLearning – The Defence Learning Portal (DLP)
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Distance Learning
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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
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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.
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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:
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College Courses
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Personal Development Record (PDR)
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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
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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
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Standard Learning Credits
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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
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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)
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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
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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: 48
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
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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
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Individual Resettlement Training Cost (IRTC)
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Further details are available from education/learning centres or search in DINs.
Service personnel
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
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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
50
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
For the most up-to-date information, please visit www.ctp.org.uk www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
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l Airport Operations
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51
Factfile
Tel: 0800 1958 066 www.gastectraining.co.uk
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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
52
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 / May 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.
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
53 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
Factfile
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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
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 The Officers’ Association (OA) The OA is a charitable organisation that gives lifetime support to officers – from finding employment after leaving the Services to ongoing career advice. We give guidance and share knowledge through consultations, webinars and numerous networking opportunities. We also give financial assistance to ex-Officers, and their dependants, in need of help. OA Scotland offers benevolence services and employment support to ex-Officers who are resident in Scotland or were members of a Scottish regiment. To find out more and register, visit officersassociation.org.uk/register Tel: 020 7808 4160 Website: www.officersassociation.org.uk
Tel: 0131 5501 575/1581 Website: www.oascotland.org.uk
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…
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)
54
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 / May 2015
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
55 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
Factfile
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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
56
• • • • • • • • • • •
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 / May 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
57 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
Courses and events
Courses and events This guide includes the courses currently scheduled to run from June 2015 to August 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 START DATE
END DATE
RRC Catterick
RRC Cottesmore
01748 872930 Military 94731 2930 rrccatterick@ctp.org.uk
01572 812241 ext 7716 Military 95341 7116 rrccottesmore@ctp.org.uk
START DATE
CTW Mixed Class
Business Start Up
15 June 2015 20 July 2015 10 August 2015
20 July 2015
17 June 2015 22 July 2015 12 August 2015
CV Development Workshop 30 June 2015 30 July 2015 27 August 2015
30 June 2015 30 July 2015 27 August 2015
FAR All Ranks 25 June 2015
25 June 2015
END DATE 21 July 2015
CTW Junior Ranks 02 June 2015 08 June 2015 16 June 2015 22 June 2015 30 June 2015 06 July 2015 13 July 2015 04 August 2015
04 June 2015 10 June 2015 18 June 2015 22 June 2015 02 July 2015 08 July 2015 15 July 2015 06 August 2015
CTW Mixed Class
RRC Aldershot 01252 348336/339 Military 94222 3336/339 rrcaldershot@ctp.org.uk
21 July 2015 23 July 2015 (Course location Preston) 04 August 2015 06 August 2015 (Course location York)
CTW Officer 14 July 2015
16 July 2015
CTW SNCO START DATE
END DATE
Business Start Up 25 June 2015 09 July 2015
26 June 2015 10 July 2015
CTW Junior Ranks 09 June 2015 23 June 2015 07 July 2015 21 July 2015 04 August 2015 18 August 2015
11 June 2015 25 June 2015 09 July 2015 23 July 2015 06 August 2015 20 August 2015
CTW Mixed Class 30 June 2015 02 July 2015 (Course location Brize Norton) 14 July 2015 16 July 2015 (Course location Brize Norton) 11 August 2015 13 August 2015 (Course location Brize Norton)
09 June 2015 23 June 2015 07 July 2015 21 July 2015 18 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp 15 June 2015 20 July 2015 17 August 2015
FAR All Ranks 09 June 2015 28 July 2015 14 July 2015
020 8842 6063/6064 Military 95233 6063/6064 rrcnortholt@ctp.org.uk START DATE
08 June 2015 10 August 2015
Business Start Up
03 June 2015
Housing 16 June 2015 16 June 2015 (Course location The Bell, St Omer Barracks)
Interview Techniques 30 June 2015 29 July 2015 25 August 2015
30 June 2015 29 July 2015 25 August 2015
14 July 2015
RRC Colchester
Employment Support Programme Wksp
03 June 2015
09 June 2015 28 July 2015
Housing
18 June 2015 16 July 2015 26 August 2015
FAR All Ranks
15 June 2015 20 July 2015 17 August 2015
29 June 2015
END DATE 30 June 2015
CTW Mixed Class 08 June 2015 22 June 2015 06 July 2015 20 July 2015
10 June 2015 24 June 2015 08 July 2015 22 July 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp 15 June 2015 13 July 2015
15 June 2015 14 July 2015
FAR All Ranks 22 July 2015
22 July 2015
Interview Techniques
58
30 July 2015
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
30 July 2015
04 June 2015 11 June 2015 18 June 2015 25 June 2015 02 July 2015 09 July 2015 16 July 2015 23 July 2015 30 July 2015 06 August 2015
CTW Mixed Class 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 (Course location Cyprus) 29 June 2015 01 July 2015 27 July 2015 29 July 2015 03 August 2015 05 August 2015 10 August 2015 12 August 2015
CTW Officer
CTW SNCO
30 July 2015
08 June 2015 10 August 2015
02 June 2015 09 June 2015 16 June 2015 23 June 2015 30 June 2015 07 July 2015 14 July 2015 21 July 2015 28 July 2015 04 August 2015
08 June 2015 22 June 2015 13 July 2015 20 July 2015 11 August 2015
03 June 2015 08 July 2015 10 June 2015 24 June 2015 15 July 2015 22 July 2015 13 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp 11 June 2015 11 June 2015 18 June 2015 18 June 2015 (Course location Cyprus) 09 July 2015 09 July 2015
FAR Officers 10 June 2015 10 June 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess) 21 July 2015 21 July 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)
FAR Other Ranks 11 June 2015 11 June 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess) 22 July 2015 22 July 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)
START DATE
END DATE
08 June 2015 22 June 2015 06 July 2015
10 June 2015 24 June 2015 08 July 2015
CTW Officer/SNCO 16 June 2015 30 June 2015 14 July 2015
18 June 2015 02 July 2015 16 July 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp 15 June 2015 13 July 2015
15 June 2015 13 July 2015
Housing 30 June 2015 30 June 2015 (41 AEC, Paderborn) 01 July 2015 01 July 2015 (51 AEC, Guetersloh)
Central London 020 7469 6661 resettlementinfo@ctp.org.uk START DATE
END DATE
CTW Senior Officer 09 June 2015 30 June 2015 21 July 2015 11 August 2015
11 June 2015 02 July 2015 23 July 2015 13 August 2015
Interview Techniques (Snr Officer) 05 June 2015 03 July 2015 31 July 2015
05 June 2015 03 July 2015 31 July 2015
RRC Northolt 020 8842 6063/6064 Military 95233 6063/6064 rrcnortholt@ctp.org.uk START DATE
END DATE
Business Start Up 09 July 2015
10 July 2015
CTW Mixed Class
Housing 15 July 2015 15 July 2015 (Course location Junior Rank's Mess)
Interview Techniques 22 June 2015
0049 5221 9953388 Military 94882 3388 rrcherford@ctp.org.uk
CTW Junior Ranks 03 July 2015 31 July 2015
CTW Junior Ranks
15 June 2015 13 July 2015
CTW SNCO 16 June 2015 14 July 2015 24 August 2015
02 July 2015 30 July 2015
01 June 2015 06 July 2015
15 June 2015 13 July 2015
END DATE
Business Start Up
CV Development Wksp
CTW Officer 28 July 2015
11 June 2015 25 June 2015 09 July 2015 23 July 2015 20 August 2015
START DATE
RRC Herford
22 June 2015
09 June 2015 16 June 2015 29 June 2015 14 July 2015 28 July 2015 18 August 2015
11 June 2015 18 June 2015 01 July 2015 16 July 2015 30 July 2015 20 August 2015
CTW Officer 02 June 2015 23 June 2015 06 July 2015 21 July 2015 04 August 2015
04 June 2015 25 June 2015 08 July 2015 23 July 2015 06 August 2015
Readers must consult their Single Service Advisors BEFORE committing to courses When responding to advertisements please mention Quest
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Courses and events Employment Support Programme Wksp 08 June 2015
RRC Portsmouth 023 9272 4130 Military 9380 24130 rrcportsmouth@ctp.org.uk
08 June 2015
FAR All Ranks 15 July 2015
15 July 2015
Housing 29 July 2015
29 July 2015
Interview Techniques 19 June 2015 17 July 2015
19 June 2015 17 July 2015
Networking 29 June 2015 10 August 2015
29 June 2015 10 August 2015
RRC Plymouth 01752 553376/93 Military 9375 53393/76 rrcplymouth@ctp.org.uk
START DATE
END DATE
Business Start Up 22 July 2015
23 July 2015
CTW Junior Ranks 23 June 2015 06 July 2015 28 July 2015 10 August 2015
25 June 2015 08 July 2015 30 July 2015 12 August 2015
CTW Mixed Class 08 June 2015 29 June 2015 20 July 2015 03 August 2015
10 June 2015 01 July 2015 22 July 2015 05 August 2015
END DATE
Business Start Up 10 June 2015
CTW SNCO
02 June 2015 04 June 2015 08 June 2015 10 June 2015 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 20 July 2015 22 July 2015 (Course location Lossiemouth) 20 July 2015 22 July 2015 10 August 2015 12 August 2015 17 August 2015 19 August 2015
02 June 2015 29 June 2015 14 July 2015 28 July 2015 11 August 2015 25 August 2015
CTW Officer/SNCO
04 June 2015 25 June 2015 09 July 2015 30 July 2015 06 August 2015 27 August 2015
01 June 2015
03 June 2015
CTW SNCO 29 June 2015 13 July 2015 03 August 2015
01 July 2015 15 July 2015 05 August 2015
22 June 2015 27 July 2015 24 August 2015
24 June 2015 29 July 2015 26 August 2015
11 June 2015
08 June 2015 29 June 2015 20 July 2015 10 August 2015
10 June 2015 01 July 2015 22 July 2015 12 August 2015
CTW Mixed Class
01 June 2015 15 June 2015 13 July 2015 17 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp
09 June 2015 11 June 2015 (Course location Culdrose) 15 June 2015 17 June 2015 27 July 2015 29 July 2015 17 August 2015 19 August 2015 24 August 2015 26 August 2015
18 June 2015 23 July 2015 27 August 2015
CTW Officer/SNCO
Housing
06 July 2015
25 June 2015
08 July 2015
08 July 2015
18 June 2015 16 July 2015
18 June 2015 16 July 2015
09 July 2015
09 July 2015
Interview Techniques 23 July 2015
01383 858230 Military 94740 8230 rrcrosyth@ctp.org.uk
11 June 2015 09 July 2015
FAR Other Ranks
12 June 2015 10 July 2015
01980 650689 Military 94342 2689 rrctidworth@ctp.org.uk
23 July 2015
START DATE
END DATE
Business Start Up 01 June 2015 16 June 2015 06 July 2015 20 July 2015 04 August 2015 25 August 2015
02 June 2015 17 June 2015 07 July 2015 21 July 2015 05 August 2015 26 August 2015
01 June 2015 08 June 2015 15 June 2015 22 June 2015 30 June 2015 06 July 2015 13 July 2015 21 July 2015 27 July 2015 04 August 2015 10 August 2015
03 June 2015 10 June 2015 17 June 2015 24 June 2015 02 July 2015 08 July 2015 15 July 2015 23 July 2015 29 July 2015 06 August 2015 12 August 2015
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) 23 July 2015 23 July 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre)
Insight to Management Consultancy 18 June 2015 15 July 2015 20 August 2015
18 June 2015 15 July 2015 20 August 2015
Interview Techniques 22 June 2015 27 July 2015 24 August 2015
22 June 2015 27 July 2015 24 August 2015
Networking 16 June 2015 30 June 2015 28 July 2015 25 August 2015
16 June 2015 30 June 2015 28 July 2015 25 August 2015
CTW Officer START DATE
END DATE
Business Start Up 23 July 2015
FAR All Ranks
25 June 2015
04 June 2015 25 June 2015 09 July 2015 30 July 2015 06 August 2015 27 August 2015
07 July 2015 07 July 2015 (Course location 1 RHA Lecture Theatre)
CTW Junior Ranks 08 July 2015
RRC Rosyth
03 June 2015 24 June 2015 15 July 2015 05 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp
18 June 2015 23 July 2015 27 August 2015
FAR All Ranks
CTW SNCO 01 June 2015 22 June 2015 13 July 2015 03 August 2015
03 June 2015 17 June 2015 15 July 2015 19 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp
FAR Officers
CTW SNCO CTW Junior Ranks
04 June 2015 01 July 2015 16 July 2015 30 July 2015 13 August 2015 27 August 2015
Employment Support Programme Wksp
RRC Tidworth
CTW Officer START DATE
CTW Mixed Class
24 July 2015
09 June 2015 23 June 2015 07 July 2015 20 July 2015 18 August 2015
11 June 2015 25 June 2015 09 July 2015 22 July 2015 20 August 2015
CTW Junior Ranks 22 June 2015 06 July 2015 27 July 2015 24 August 2015
24 June 2015 08 July 2015 29 July 2015 26 August 2015
Employment fairs Event
Date
Venue
Scotland
14 May
Dewars Centre, Perth
South-west
18 June
University of the West of England, Bristol
East of England
16 July
Newmarket Racecourse
North-west/West Midlands
10 September
Manchester Central Convention Complex
Visit www.ctp.org.uk for further details
60 www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
MBDA, a world leader in missiles and missile systems, is a multinational group with 10,000 employees working across France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United States. We are currently looking to broaden our existing talent base with a large range of opportunities for suitably qualified individuals based from Bristol, Stevenage (Hertfordshire) and Lostock, within the following disciplines (though not limited to): System Design Engineers. Safety and Reliability Engineers. Project Manager. Supportability Engineer. Electromagnetic Designer. Principal Field Support and Training Instructor. Embedded Software Architect. Technical Author. Procurement Manager. Shock, Vibration and Climatic Test Engineer. In-Service Support Engineers. Electronic Equipment Lead.
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Preparing for redundancy
Preparing for redundancy
A step-by-step guide s you will no doubt be aware, in September 2011 the Ministry of Defence informed just under 2,000 members of the Army and Royal Air Force that they were to be made redundant. Later that same month, 1,000 Royal Navy personnel were added to this figure, completing the first tranche of the Armed Forces Redundancy Programme. The second tranche was announced early in 2012, while, in June 2013, another 4,480 Army personnel (the third tranche) were to be made redundant in the next round of cuts. The fourth and final set of redundancies was announced by the Defence Secretary in January 2014, to consist of a maximum of 1,505 personnel. The MoD has ensured that there is a robust
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CALCULATING THE BENEFITS •
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The MoD has stated that all those selected for redundancy will get a full resettlement package, regardless of their length of service. It has also added an Armed Forces Redundancy Calculator (AFRC) to its website to help you forecast your redundancy and pension benefits. To find out more, visit www.mod-rc.co.uk
www.questonline.co.uk / May 2015
resettlement process and a generous tax‐ free payment in place for all those who are selected for redundancy, to help make their transition to civilian life as smooth as possible. The redundancy programme is part of the government’s plan to cut the number of regulars from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2018. While many Service men and women have applied to be made redundant, many others have not, and therefore will be forced to accommodate an unplanned return to the civilian workforce. This article focuses on those Service personnel who did not choose to be made redundant, and how they can best use their 12 months’ notice to plan for the future.
Step 1: Look at what’s on offer All Service personnel made involuntarily redundant will receive a leavers’ pack giving specific details about their individual resettlement packages. These packs include: ● a three‐day transition workshop ● access to a career consultant and job‐ finding service ● time to retrain and information about grants
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access to a wide range of accredited vocational training courses and workshops.
Step 2: Think positive Forces personnel are used to challenges and making the best of situations, and these aptitudes will give you a clear advantage. Make full use of your skills and apply a positive mindset. Even though the job market may seem squeezed, a return to civilian life is abundant with opportunities. In the Forces, you will have acquired hugely beneficial transferable skills such as: ● adaptability ● reliability ● composure under pressure ● team‐working ● decision‐making and using initiative ● thinking on your feet. Make a note of these skills (to remind yourself as well as others) and add to it other more specific trade skills that you have, along with your experience of, for example, working in a conflict zone or knowledge of different cultures.
Preparing for redundancy
Step 3: Revisit your CV Whether you are planning to go straight into a job or see redundancy as an opportunity to retrain, you will need to update your CV. ● Look at your last CV (if you have one) and give it a really good prune. ● Be brief: give key points; use bullet lists and timelines; and ensure you include the transferable skills discussed in Step 2. Then invite readers to contact you for more detailed information. This will give you an opportunity to engage in a persuasive dialogue. ● Add the names and contact details of two or three referees, or add a couple of testimonials right at the bottom of your CV. Try to make these varied: one from the Forces, one from another facet of your life (perhaps you organise regular social events or are a long‐standing member of a club). The more varied they are, the more ‘rounded’ you will appear. ● Take advantage of the electronic age and create your CV as a two‐page (maximum) PDF or Word file. This will allow you to send out literally hundreds of copies without having to leave your desk or pay for postage. It will also make it easier to see who you’ve targeted for work and who’s responded.
Step 4: Freshen up your interview technique Good appearance, a confident handshake, making eye contact, careful listening and confident talking will all stand you in good stead on the day. But there’s so much more to an interview … You should prepare, prepare, prepare, and as a Forces person that will come naturally to you. Do every bit of research and homework possible on the organisation/college/business that has invited you to interview. Search the internet for information, or even ring up the organisation beforehand and ask if they have a brochure or pack giving details and history of the business. Let your interviewer(s) know you have done this research by adding relevant detail to your answers. (And remember to turn off your mobile phone before the interview starts!)
Step 5: Look at your short-term options Consider what’s available to you now. ● Research employment agencies in your area. What kinds of work do they offer? Does it interest you? Make contact, and ask if they will put you on their books (your updated CV will be useful here). Temping is a great way to build in enough space to work on your long‐ term plans. ● Try your hand at some freelance work. Do you have any skills that others might
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find useful? Could you, say, do a spot of garden maintenance? Could you offer your skills and knowledge in a consultancy context? Do be aware, though, that you may need to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check depending what you choose to do. Visit www.gov.uk to see which jobs require this. Become a volunteer. Choose an area/cause that interests you, and see if your help is needed there. It won’t earn you money in the short term, but some organisations require both voluntary and paid staff. Being on the ‘inside’ is the best position.
Step 6: Plan for the long term Think about what you really want to do and balance that against priorities in your life. ● Are you in a position to retrain? If so, get as much detail as possible about relevant courses. You could study part‐ time at a local college while earning part‐time; you could take on a home study course while working full‐time; or you could study full‐time. ● Is there a specific company you’d like to work for, or a specific area of work you’d like to be involved in? Start to make contacts now. Become known so that if a vacancy arises you’re in the foreground. ● Do you want to build your own business using very specific or unique skills that you acquired in the Forces, e.g. a freelance trainer in, say, motivation in the workplace (your ‘back story’ will be useful here); a mechanic on specific forms of transport; or something completely different and unrelated to your past experience? Patience will be required, along with some knowledge of
GET PAID TO LEARN Did you know, you can use your enhanced learning credit (ELC) for up to ten years after leaving the Forces to take courses at level 3 and above? This means that you will receive funding provided your training is offered by an approved/accredited provider. For further details and eligibility requirements, see our sister publication Courses4Forces – see www.courses4forces.co.uk
EDIT YOUR INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE In an interview, learn how to say just enough. • Stick to the point of the question, giving relevant detail about yourself/your experience. • Ask for clarification if a question doesn’t seem clear to you. (It’s a good technique to show you are thorough.) • Ensure you have a question or two of your own to ask the interviewers about the job/organisation/course. This registers your own interest and research.
administrative procedures such as orderly paperwork and accounting. Take advantage of, say, part‐time study, combined with part‐time earning, as you build a business plan for your future.
Step 7: Network, network, network! These days, networking couldn’t be easier. You will already have begun the process by engaging with Step 5. And Step 6 will help you to be even more specific. ● Get yourself some business cards. An online printing company will take you through the process step by step, and it doesn’t cost a fortune. Include just the essential details: name, phone number, email address. That way, your cards can work hard for you on every occasion and be appropriate to hand out to anyone. ● See every contact as an opportunity. Temping may turn into long‐term work; freelancing may develop into a business; volunteering could turn into a paid job; the person running your study course may spot your potential and refer you to their contact list. ● Join business networking groups in your area. These will be listed in local directories online. Rehearse your ‘elevator pitch’ (a brief speech that you can deliver in roughly 60 seconds giving the salient points of your ‘back story’). Make it quirky and memorable, and invite questions. Get noticed for being yourself. Get people talking to you and about you. ● Sign up for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any other social media. Your message (that you are skilled in ‘X’ areas, that you are a freelance ‘X’, that you are available to take on work, etc.) will spread quickly and easily the more you ‘share’ and link in with others. You never know who might be looking. ● Get in touch with old contacts, too. Their circumstances may have changed, and they may know something you don’t.
Step 8: Keep calm and stay focused However daunting your new challenges may feel, however unsettling things are for your family, if you keep a cool head and start planning now, it will pay enormous dividends. Information sharing is essential. Stay in touch with others in the Forces who were made redundant with you. They, more than anyone, will understand your circumstances and ‘journey’. Most important, remember that you have invaluable skills and experience that are useful in every walk of life. If you stay calm, focused, confident and positive, others will notice you.
May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk
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For a full job description and an application form, contact: Mr J Taylor, SE RFCA, Seely House, Shoe Lane, Aldershot, Hants. GU11 2HJ. Tel: 01252 357606. Email: se-offman@rfca.mod.uk Closing date for applications is Friday 29th May. Interviews are scheduled for 17th June.
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65 May 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk