Quest May 2018

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE BRITISH EX-FORCES IN BUSINESS AWARDS May 2018

GET EXPERT ADVICE, ON THE HOUSE page 60

PLUS Self-employment Transition support

And get on course for these careers: Building trades Electrical and electronic engineering

THE HOME OF EVERYTHING ELC COURSES I FUNDING I CAREERS I RESETTLEMENT

questonline.co.uk

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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Gastec Training has for many years worked closely with Britain’s armed forces as they prepare for civilian life. At Gastec we recognise the commitment you have made while serving and welcome the opportunity to ensure you have a prosperous future as you leave the armed forces. The Gastec New Entrant Gas Course will prepare you for an interesting and lucrative career in the gas utility sector. Call now for a special reduced pricing offer on this course.

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enquiries@gastectraining.co.uk

www.gastectraining.co.uk

T

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E

EDITOR WELCOME TO YOUR NEW EDITION OF QUEST magazine, incorporating COURSES 4 FORCES. As ever, it’s the home of all things ELC,

and the only guide you’ll need to funding, courses, careers and resettlement. Whether you’re a newcomer to QUEST, still serving or have already stepped out on your resettlement journey, we hope you’ll find much to interest and assist you in these pages.

As usual we’ve gathered together in one place all you need to know about claiming your ELC and how to make best use of it. Discover how distance learning could boost your quest for qualifications, as well as the benefits of the Access to HE Diploma, which can help you get on course even if you thought higher education was beyond your reach.

We check out two career areas we know are popular with both Service leavers and those still serving but thinking ahead to their transition: building trades and the related field of electrical and electronic engineering. Our one-stop education and funding planner, meanwhile, summarises your education and personal development opportunities, offering ideas on improving your career prospects and highlighting the available funding sources.

You’ll also find the usual QUEST cocktail of practical advice on resettlement issues. For the potential self-employed among you, regular contributor Steve Bulleyment has tips on avoiding ‘the dip’ – find out what that’s all about on page 62 – and former Royal Marine ‘Martin’ tells us how he’s benefited from the support of Veterans’ charity and housing association Stoll.

We also have two important announcements for you this month: first of all, as proud sponsor of the upcoming British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, QUEST is delighted to bring you news of the shortlisted candidates here. The ceremony itself takes place on 17 May and we’ll report on that in our June issue. Second – and as featured on our cover this month – we are very pleased indeed to be able to tell you about a new initiative between Veterans’ Gateway and the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity, Shelter, to offer housing help to the ex-Forces community. To find out how to access this invaluable expert advice, turn to page 60.

At the heart of all this is ‘The Hub’, the place for key information on courses and training options, alongside reader reports and transition news.

A packed and, we hope you’ll agree, informative issue. Like the gentleman on our cover this month, stand at ease and start reading!

For all the latest information, visit our website: questonline.co.uk

Lynn Brown Editor

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 Tony Heathfield Brian Tolworthy DISTRIBUTION Martin Sells DESIGN AND PRODUCTION CB Creative Limited Tel: 01223 750566 www.cb2creative.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Bruce Hodge 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

CONNECT WITH US questonline.co.uk questmagazine

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May 2018

3

MAY 2018 >>

Contents On this month’s cover: housing help for the ex-Forces community from Veterans’ Gateway

H E BRITIS R OF THS AWARDS SPONSO ES 8 May 201 PROUD ES IN BUSIN EX-FORC EL H P HOME t advice,

Exper use on the ho e xx pag

page 60 Cover image: Michael Clement

PLUS

ployment Self-em support Transition

rse t on cou And ge careers: for these

trades Building and electronic l Electrica g engineerin

FIRST UP

ELC YTHING ENT OF EVER RESETTLEM HOMEDING I CAREERS I THE SES I FUN

e.co.uk questonlin

COUR

06 British Ex-Forces in Business Awards: proudly sponsored by QUEST, read about the shortlisted candidates here

YOUR ELC 10 ELC 101: the basics 12 Are you eligible for ELC? 14 How to use your ELC funding 16 How to claim if you are still serving 18 How to claim after leaving 20 Avoiding queries or rejection 22 ELC dos and don’ts 24 Distance learning 28 Higher-level study 34 Qualifications to further your Service career 36 On course: Building trades 44 The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma 46 On course: Electrical and electronic engineering 50 Useful contacts 52 Education and funding planner

THE HUB 54 Course and training options, transition news and reader reports

YOUR RESETTLEMENT

58 Transition support: how Stoll is helping vulnerable Veterans 60 COVER STORY: access expert advice on housing from Veterans’ Gateway 62 Civvy savvy: self-employment advice 64 CTP courses and events 66 Transition factfile

4

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58

06 60

62

46

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

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BRITISH EX-FORCES IN BUSINESS AWARDS FACTFILE

Military Veterans recognised for their business achievements

Sponsored by QUEST, the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards is a new awards programme that identifies business role models for Service leavers, to support them during resettlement and promote the value of military-gained skills in the wider UK workforce. Here we check out this year’s inaugural shortlisted candidates.

6

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

T

he British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, held in association with

British Ex-Forces in Business Awards finalists

Amazon Web Services (AWS),

Advocate of the Year

Inspiration of the Year

is the largest celebration of ex-military

Chris Coghlan, Bibimoney

Alex MacEwen, BlackRock

personnel in the UK workforce, and the

David Bruce, Global Cloud Xchange

Ally Musthan, Artisan People

employers that support current and

Hugh Andree, ForceSelect

Christopher McDonald, Network Rail

former members of the British Armed

John Chantry, Barclays

Daniel Richards, Academies Enterprise Trust

Forces. The awards are dedicated to

Mark Parr, KPMG

Darren Smith, Curbside Gaming

providing a much-needed platform

Neil Porter, BAM

Gareth Fulton, Experian

for uncovering and promoting the

Richard Quellyn-Roberts, Mitmark

Paul Bensley, Tarmac Building Products

achievements of ex-military personnel

Rory Mackenzie, RM Speaking

who are now excelling in the business

Business Leader of the Year

world, presenting them as important role

David Wilkins MBE, Goldman Sachs

Lifetime Achievement

models for current Service leavers.

Karl Havard, PA Consulting Group

Andrew Whitehorn, Workplace Solutions

Marcus James, CBRE

Collin Singer, Wagtail UK

Service men and women leave the

Mark Carnaghan, 2 Sisters Food Group

Craig Summers, Sky News

military. Despite having developed many

Mark Taylor, Taylor Consulting Group

David Dent, Parexel International

transferable qualities that are in demand

Robert Hughes-Penney, Rathbone Brothers

Dr Jon Lamonte, Transport for Greater

in the business world, some still find the

Scott Lane, Day Webster

process of resettling to civilian life and

Scott Porter, Top Conker

Each year, more than 16,000

finding a place in the wider UK workforce a challenge.

The awards ceremony, due to

Manchester Gary Stockton, Komankra Julian Knight, Dynamic Capital Management

Employer of the Year

Major Scott Kirkwood, Advocate Design

Balfour Beatty

William McTavish Martin-Grayston,

take place in London’s De Vere Grand

Deloitte

Connaught Rooms on 17 May, will

Fieri

highlight these adaptable skills by shining

Jaguar Land Rover

New Service Leaver of the Year

a light on the business achievements

Siemens

Adam Meyer, Awareness Response Training

they have helped enable, and recognise

Transport for London

Ben Davis, Barclays Investment Bank

the organisations that have supported

Yodel

Daniel Frost, Marks and Spencer

Service leavers.

Sovereign FM

Iain Church, Moringa Miracles

Entrepreneur of the Year

Mark Willis, Goldman Sachs

hundreds of business leaders to reveal

Daryl Flack, BlockPhish

Richard Shepherd, Bring The Game Over

and honour the winners, as well as

Gavin Lumsden, Essential Teaching UK

Thomas Varty, JP Morgan

bringing together top companies, military

Guy Richardson, EIGER Performance

personnel, politicians, journalists and

Kevin Jefcoate, Blackhawk Network

other stakeholders to raise awareness

Richard Turner, Turner Tech Consulting

Outstanding Achiever of the Year

of resettlement issues, encourage the

Steve McCarthy, Hansei Technology

Andrew MacLeod, Hear Their Cries

development of ex-Forces employment

Stuart Pearce, SMARTech Energy

Andy Lewis, Cadent

schemes and promote the significant

Tony Knights, Knights Group Worldwide

Craig Henshaw, MedaPhor

The high-profile ceremony will gather

value that military-gained skills can

Darren Holmes, Wates

provide to the UK economy if better

Innovator of the Year

Edward Osborne, Virtualstock

utilised across the workforce.

Che Armstrong Chingang, HSBC

Jordan Wylie, JWC International

Haig Tyler, Herbert Smith Freehills

Steve Marshall, Aldi

director at AWS, ‘We are thrilled to see

John Flexman, Norton Rose Fulbright

Steven Higgs, Mezzanine International

so many talented military Veterans

Matthew Hopkinson, Didobi

recognised for their outstanding

Nicholas Mazzei, BT

achievements in business. We find

Richard Gill, Drone Defence

that many of the qualities that are

Simon Davies, Spectra Group

foundational to military service are

Tony Reeves, Microsoft

Says Gavin Jackson, UK managing

invaluable for our own organisation.

Hiring transitioning military Veterans and military spouses is a fantastic opportunity for any company to grow its talent pool, and we are proud to support the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, which extol the virtues of these men and women.’

DOING MORE TO RECRUIT, TRAIN AND SUPPORT MILITARY VETERANS IS NOT ONLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT IS ALSO VITAL TO THE PROSPERITY OF OUR ECONOMY questonline.co.uk l May 2018

7

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COURSE EX-FORCES BRITISH FACTFILE CHOICES IN BUSINESS AWARDS Rising Star of the Year

Team Leader of the Year

nominations and include categories such

Damon Tyler, NHS Calderdale CCG

Bernard McPhail, Integral

as Business Leader of the Year, Employer

David Edgar, Barclays

Chris Hancock, Multrees Investor Services

of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year,

James Randall, Siemens

Colin Sellars, Cornwall Council

Innovator of the Year, Rising Star of the

James Stafford Allen, Moody’s Investors

Darren Lucas, Lambeth College

The awards attracted more than 250

Year, Woman of the Year, Young Leader of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

Service

Gareth Evans, Cisco

Jamie Wood, Harniss

Gary Moore, Annodata

Lee Leyland, CIS Security

Michael Ellul, Encon Insulation

journalist and broadcaster Julia Hartley-

Mark Wilson, ConocoPhillips

Tim Eastwood, UBS

Brewer, who will welcome former SAS

Morgan Scrase, Rarden Safety Solutions

The ceremony will be presented by

soldier and bestselling author Andy

Woman of the Year

McNab as a guest speaker as well as

Role Model of the Year

entertainment from the Military Wives

Craig Dunbar, Scania

Choir. Those presenting awards on

Daisy Coleman, Coleman Racing

Caroline Neil, RPS Partnership

the evening include General Sir Mike

Jim Mathieson, Shell

Gemma Gardner, Holistic Dreamz

Jackson, who headed the British Army

John Allwood, Lead Forensics

as it entered the Iraq War in 2003, and

Neil Denton, Home Office

Jane Wainwright, PwC

Falklands War hero Simon Weston CBE.

Nick Onslow, Russell Ulyatt

Rebecca Halliwell-Coutts, Foran Solutions

Rowena Fell, EY

Sam Smith, KellyOCG

As well as Amazon Web Services, whose AWS re:Start programme equips

Angela Owen, Women in Defence UK and PA Consulting Group

Consultancy

Sean Molino, Forces Fitness

Service leavers with the latest software

Young Leader of the Year

development and cloud computing

Service Leaver of the Year

technologies to perform technology

James Hawker, KPMG

Benjamin Bobroff, BlackRock

roles, other sponsors of the awards

Justin Jones, Thomsons Online Benefits

Christopher Parkes, Julius Rutherfoord & Co

include FDM Group, Kuehne + Nagel, PwC,

Lee Whitworth, A&E Harmonious

Jamal Abbasi, UK Government’s

Santander and Transport for London.

Adam Ottway, Ecolog International

Compliance Training

Stabilisation Unit

Soldier On! has been selected as charity

Pete Thornton, Bidfood

partner and QUEST is supporting as

Peter Speight, Howdens Joinery

media partner.

Raoul Mooyaart, Korn Ferry Hay Group

Jon-Paul Brett, Burberry

Scott Hardisty, Pirtek

Linsey Vance, Datapipe

Stephen Childs, Debenhams

Sudershan Dadlani, Kinara International

Ben Rossi, journalist and founder of the British Ex-Forces in Business

James Bromfield, Barclays International Banking

Awards, comments: ‘Service men and women develop qualities that are easily transferable to roles in business, yet many employers fail to recognise this or are deterred by common misconceptions.

Recognising these attributes and doing more to recruit, train and generally support military Veterans is not only the right thing to do, but is also vital to the prosperity of our economy. We were overwhelmed by the talent on display in the nominations received for the awards, and we look forward to recognising this unique and admirable group of people on 17 May.’ The finalists for the inaugural British Ex-Forces in Business Awards – the

Guest Speaker

Host

largest ever celebration of military

ANDY MCNAB

JULIA HARTLEY-BREWER

Veterans in the UK workforce – were

Bestselling author and SAS Veteran

Broadcaster and journalist

revealed last month. You can read the shortlist in the blue boxes on pages 7 and 8.

To find out more, visit: www.exforcesinbusiness.co.uk

8

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

HIRING TRANSITIONING MILITARY VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY COMPANY TO GROW ITS TALENT POOL

Q

YOUR ELC ELC BASICS

l

ELC 101 The basics

Only one ELC claim can be made in any one financial year (April to March).

l

You must make a contribution to your learning of at least 20% of the cost (the ELC element includes VAT but excludes travel, accommodation, food, books and materials).

l

You must discuss your plans with your line manager and education adviser before making any financial commitment.

l

ELC are available for full- or part-time study for a qualification at level 3 or above, as defined on the NQF or SCQF, with an organisation on the approved providers list maintained by ELCAS.

l

You may not claim ELC for:

− – Service training − – civilian accredited Service training (unless at least 30 hours extra work is involved, together with a separate exam, assessment or assignment) − – membership fees − – books and materials − – normal Service sport and adventurous training. l

Withdrawal once payment has been made due to foreseeable postings/ Service activities will usually meant that no further claims will be allowed.

l

S

ubject to certain eligibility

compassionate reasons cause your l

ELC may be claimed for the same

withdrawal, you should seek advice

criteria (see page 12), the ELC

learning course if it continues for more

from your Education Staff or Learning

scheme offers currently serving

than a year, or for a different learning

Adviser.Q

or former Service personnel access to a first full level 3 (GCE A-level or vocational

purpose each year. l

equivalent) or a first higher education (HE) first undergraduate degree or equivalent)

combined to claim ELC. l

A new ELC award was created in 2016.

free from tuition fees. Here’s the basic

It’s an aggregated lower-tier award,

information you need to know …

which is a single payment of up to

l

The ELC lower tier offers up to three

£3,000 for those with six or more

payments of up to £1,000 in three

years of qualifying service, which will

separate financial years; the higher tier offers up to three payments of up

10

If one course combines with others for a single learning purpose these can be

qualification (e.g. a foundation degree or a

l

If unexpected Service or

count as all three awards. l

The PF FE/HE scheme provides

ELC SCHEME: LATEST STATS

to £2,000 in three separate financial

Service leavers and Service personnel

years.

in their qualifying resettlement phase

The three separate years do not have

with access to a first full level 3 or a

From its inception until the end of April

to run consecutively, and may be a

first HE qualification (a foundation

2018, 383,501 people had registered

combination of both higher and lower

degree or a first undergraduate

with the ELC scheme and 138,691

levels.

degree or equivalent) with support

claims had been made, to the value of

towards tuition fees.

£219.3 million.

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Y O U TA K E C A R E O F U S .

W E TA K E C A R E O F Y O U .

T O G E T H E R W E G O F U R T H ER. C U R R E N T O R F O R M E R M I L I TA R Y P E R S O N N E L C A N S A V E U P T O 2 0%* O N A N E W F O R D .

F O R D K U G A S T- L I N E S H O W N A VA I L A B L E W I T H

15%

C U S T O M E R S AV I N G .

TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT FORD.CO.UK/MILITARYSALES Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Kuga ST-Line range: urban 30.1-57.6 (9.4-4.9), extra urban 44.8-67.3 (6.3-4.2), combined 37.7-64.2 (7.5-4.4). Official CO2 emissions 173-115g/km.

The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience. *Military Saving programme available to current and ex-Service Personnel. Including veterans and retired members of the UK Armed Forces. Customer savings of 4% to 20% off the Recommended On The Road price available across the Ford range (excluding KA+ and Focus RS) on vehicles contracted between 26th January 2018 and 31st December 2018 and registered between 26th January 2018 and 30th June 2019. Retail customers only. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with other manufacturer promotions or incentives. At participating Ford dealers – for terms and conditions, including the eligibility criteria, eligible models and customer savings visit: www.ford.co.uk/militarysales

Q

YOUR ELC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Are you eligible for ELC?

Take a look at the eligibility rules below to find out … l

All Regular Service Personnel (SP)

have left the Service or entered your

day of service, you will be eligible to claim

currently in service will be auto-

qualifying resettlement phase on or

ELC at the higher tier (£2,000), subject to

enrolled on the ELC scheme, as will

after 17 July 2008

meeting the other conditions associated

meet UK residency requirements to

with the scheme.

future SP on completion of their Phase 1 training. l

l

What about if you are medically

both ELC lower-tier and FEHE awards

medically discharged from service before

discharged?

increased from four to six years as

achieving the required number of years’

You are eligible to claim ELC at the lower

of 1 April 2017. If you had already

service. If this is the case, please seek

(£1,000) or higher (£2,000) tier depending

accumulated four years’ qualifying

advice from your unit education staffs.

on your length of service on the date of

In detail …

award and FEHE.

When can you start claiming ELC?

of service, you may be eligible to make

If you left service on or after 1 April

You can start claiming when you have

claims at the lower-tier rate if the injury

2016, you are entitled to post-service

accumulated the necessary qualifying

or illness was caused or significantly

access to ELC and FEHE for five years.

years of service. For example, if you

worsened, wholly or predominantly by

If you left between 1 April 2011 and 31

registered on the ELC scheme and have

service, as defined by the Armed Forces

March 2016 inclusive, you will have

been serving since 1 April 2000, you will

Compensation Scheme (JSP765).

until 31 March 2021 to use your ELC or

have been entitled to start claiming at the

FEHE (i.e. five years from March 2016).

£1,000 level from 1 April 2004 and at the

What if you are no longer serving?

If you left before 1 April 2011, you

£2,000 level from 1 April 2008. As noted

If you have already left the Service or are

will retain ten years of post-Service

above, from 1 April 2017, the qualifying

in your resettlement phase, you may be

access.

service for lower-tier awards increased

eligible to claim under the terms of the

from four to six years. However, if you

Publicly Funded Further Education/Higher

accumulated four years’ qualifying service

Education (PF FE/HE) scheme. Take a look

before 1 April 2017, you will still be able to

at the feature on page 18 to find out more –

claim your lower-tier awards.

or, for full details and to check the detailed

must:

l

have completed four years of full-time

discharged prior to completing six years

eligibility rules, visit

service or, since 1 April 2017, six years

What happens if you are made redundant?

have joined – or since April 2016

Irrespective of whether or not you applied

been automatically enrolled – on the

to be made redundant, you will cease

Find out more

scheme and completed four years’ or,

to accrue service for ELC eligibility on

Much more detailed information is

from 1 April 2017, six years’ qualifying

the day you leave service. If you have

available in JSP822, which can be

scheme membership

accrued six or more years’ service since

downloaded from the ELCAS website at

apply only for a first eligible FE/HE

registering on the scheme by your last day

www.enhancedlearningcredits.com Q

qualification at the level for which you

of service, you will still be eligible to claim

are academically qualified to enter

ELC at the lower tier (£1,000). If you have

learning on leaving the Service

accrued eight or more years’ service since registering on the scheme by your last

12

discharge. Additionally, if you are medically

your entitlement to use ELC lower-tier

To take advantage of ELC support, you

l

qualify for full state subsidy.

Special eligibility criteria apply if you were

In brief … l

l

The qualifying service required for

service before 1 April 2017, you keep

l

l

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

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

Quest March 2016 Final_2016 07/03/2016 09:26 Page 11

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

11

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

January 2016 / www.questonline.co.uk

13

Q

YOUR ELC SPENDING OPTIONS

How to use your ELC funding When your claim’s approved, there’s a wide choice of where to spend your funding

E

LC are available for full- or part-

l

professional self-development

time study for a qualification at

l

accreditation of prior learning

level 3 or above, as defined on the

l

vocational training

National Qualifications Framework/

l

registration and accreditation fees

Regulated Qualifications Framework (NQF/

l

sports qualifications

RQF),* with an organisation

l

overseas qualifications

on the approved providers list held by

l

resettlement training (during last two

ELCAS and viewable at

To find out more about accessing higher-

It could be an A-level, or an NVQ 3 or

level study in particular, take a look at our

equivalent award. You may also use ELC

feature on page 28.

Before deciding on a course, you should consider: l its relevance to your personal development plan l your ability to undertake it l likely disruptions to Service requirements l the flexibility of the study method.

* The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is

to fund anything above that, too, like

replacing the Qualifications and Credit Framework

university modules or nationally recognised

(QCF) from 1 October 2015 onwards.

diplomas. This might include:

14

years of service only).

www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

CHOOSING A COURSE

l

foundation degrees

l

postgraduate qualifications

l

other academic qualifications

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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

W Woodward SHE Ltd.

W W Your Training - Your Entitlement - Your Future

5 NEBOSH Certificate Quals 1 ELC Claim Only from WOODWARD

Now taking course bookings for Autumn 2018 in Catterick.

NEBOSH National General Certificate NEBOSH International General Certificate Conversion NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Safety NEBOSH Inter. Technical Certificate in Oil & Gas Safety NEBOSH National Diploma in Health & Safety NEBOSH Diploma in Environmental Management

Courses Available in Catterick, Edinburgh and Carlisle.

Telephone ~ Sharon on 01228 - 592614 email ~ info@woodwardgroup.co.uk

www.woodwardgroup.co.uk

APPROVED BY MoD IN SUPPORT OF THE ELC SCHEME

ELC

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PROVIDER NUMBER

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15

Q

YOUR ELC HOW TO CLAIM YOUR ELC

Making an application Your step-by-step guide

1. Read Joint Service Publication JSP822 – Defence Direction

and Guidance for Training and Education.

2. Think about what fits your personal development plan and your future.

8. Do not leave everything until the last minute. Allow time for any new publicly funded providers to be accepted on to the scheme, as the registration process can take several weeks.

Once they have been accepted, you can submit an application

3. Discuss this with your line manager and education/learning

to study with them.

9. Providers are expected to waive any initial registration fee,

staff.

4. Get the necessary approval to enrol.

5. Go to the ELCAS website at www.enhancedlearningcredits.com and complete the ELC application form online.

so don’t pay any of your own money towards the cost of their tuition fees – if you do, it will not be refunded.

10. You must submit a separate claim form for each year of a course – if you don’t, it could result in support being

6. Check the ELCAS database of approved providers to see if the course you wish to enrol on is allowable under the rules.

7. If you wish to use a provider that is not on the list, ensure they

withdrawn.

11. Start learning, and make the most of your life!

ELCAS has produced a useful flow diagram to sum up the claims

are eligible to participate in the scheme (they must deliver

process. You can find this in the Annex at the end of JSP822,

publicly funded FE/HE) and ask them to apply for scheme

which can be downloaded from the ELCAS website at

membership using the information on the ELC website.

www.enhancedlearningcredits.com Q

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Q

YOUR ELC HOW TO CLAIM AFTER LEAVING

No longer serving?

Here’s how to claim your ELC if you have left the Services

A

Note: You should contact your SSR with questions only if you have been unable to find the answer to your query on the ELCAS website at www.enhancedlearningcredits. com (this also has a useful FAQs page).

lthough the main purpose of ELC

evidence of your last day of Service,

Royal Navy

is to encourage serving personnel

which could be a copy of your discharge

ELC Manager, Mailpoint 3.3, Leach Building,

to pursue higher-level learning that

document, a copy of your P45

Whale Island, HMS Excellent, Portsmouth

benefits both the learner and the Armed

terminating employment or a document

PO2 8BY

Forces, it also allows level 3-plus learning

stamped by your regiment confirming

02392 625954

to be pursued during resettlement or for

your leaving date**

NAVYTRGHQ-EL3RRESETSO3C@mod.uk

up to five years after leaving the Services.*

l

The majority of this learning is likely to be vocational (learning new skills or enhancing

address

Army

full information about the course you

Learning Credit Scheme (LCS) Manager,

wish to undertake and including details of

Education Branch Zone 4, Floor 2, Army

benefiting the learner and a future employer

your registration date where applicable.

Personnel Services Group, Home Command,

First of all, refer to the eligibility

l

a copy of a utility bill showing your home

existing ones), with the qualification and, nationally, adding to the UK’s skills base.

On receipt of the CAN, you can proceed

Ramillies Building, Army HQ

with payment by sending it, along with your

Monxton Road, Andover SP11 8HJ

criteria listed on page 12. To make a claim,

20% minimum contribution, to the training

Tel: The Army ELC helpline is currently

download the appropriate form from the

provider.

closed until further notice; during this time

ELCAS website and complete it fully, except

When you have completed your course,

all enquiries are to be made by email elc@detsa.co.uk

for Parts 4 and 5 – your Single Service

you must also complete the evaluation form

Representative (SSR) will complete these

and return it to ELCAS. If you do not do this it

elements (you will find their contact details in

could jeopardise your next claim. If you have

Royal Air Force

the accompanying box). Send your otherwise

any doubts about any aspect of this process,

Learning Credits Administrator,

fully completed claim form to them at the

contact your single-Service education/

Accreditation and Education Wing, RAF

relevant address (again, see box), along with:

learning representative for advice before

Central Training School, HQ 22 TrgGp, Room

submitting a claim. Q

221B, Trenchard Hall, RAF College, Cranwell

IMPORTANT!

18

WHERE TO SEND CLAIMS IF YOU ARE NO LONGER SERVING

NG34 8HB

All applications must be submitted to

*If you left the Service before 31 March 2016, please

01400 268 183

SSRs for approval at least 25 clear

refer to JSP822 at www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

Michael.Quainton100@mod.gov.uk

working days prior to the start of the

for the expiration date of your claims.

course you wish to take. They will

** If you were in the RAF, you can request a copy of

then submit approved applications to

your discharge document from the RAF Disclosures

ELCAS. You should not submit your

team at www.raf.mod.uk/links/contacts.cfm Army

claim form direct to ELCAS.

personnel can request details of discharge dates from the Army Personnel Centre by calling 0845 6009663.

l

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

19

Q

YOUR ELC HOW YOU CAN HELP

Avoiding queries or rejection How you can help things to run smoothly

E

LCAS deals with many claims that

minimum criteria (level 3 or above on the

and research and discuss your learning with

have to be queried or rejected: almost

NQF or RQF) or the learning provider is

your line manager and Service education or

not on the ELCAS approved providers list

learning adviser. This also applies if you are

failure to follow the correct procedure for

a qualifying ex-Service person using your

authorising the claim

ELC. The 25-working-day margin is in place

the course not commencing in the

for good reason. If you don’t plan far ahead

qualifying financial year

enough you could find yourself significantly

incorrect financial data, such as the

out of pocket as retrospective claims are not

authorisation note (CAN) from ELCAS

learner’s contribution being less than

allowed under any circumstances.

learners failing to allow sufficient time

20% or the MoD’s contribution calculated

20% of claims received fail to comply

with the correct procedures. Some of the

l

main reasons for rejection include: l

applicants enrolling on a course – and

l

sometimes paying a fee – without first obtaining the necessary claims l

l

as exceeding the ELC award

offered by an approved provider are

incomplete details or errors in course title

automatically admissible under the ELC

so any claim submitted within 25 working

or course level (these account for 25% of

scheme. This is a common mistake: one

days of the start of the course will

all rejected/queried claims)

provider may supply many courses, but only

applicants not registered on the ELCAS

those approved courses at NQF/RQF level 3

system

or above (and equivalent) listed on the ELCAS

more than one active claim being

website may be considered for ELC purposes.

between submitting a claim and starting a course – this takes at least five weeks,

automatically be rejected l

form for the previous claim has been completed – such claims are also

20

l

l

a second or third ELC claim being submitted before the course evaluation

l

Also, do not assume that all courses

l

processed for an individual in the same l

plan ahead and get it right first time

automatically rejected

To help avoid rejection on grounds such as

l

don’t buck the system or pay upfront

the course does not meet the necessary

those listed above, you should plan ahead,

l

complete your claim with care! Q

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

financial year.

So:

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

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E LC

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

21

Q

YOUR ELC DOS AND DON’TS

ELC dos and don’ts Do:

it out on the ELCAS website at www.

your studies; if you don’t, and can’t

l

enhancedlearningcredits.com

provide evidence that you completed

make sure you understand the regulations – see Joint Service

l

l

ensure the training is delivered by an

the course, your future claims will be

Publication JSP822 – Defence Direction

approved ELC provider if using your

denied.

and Guidance for Training and

Individual Resettlement Training Cost

Education, which can be downloaded

(IRTC) grant along with ELC to fund a

Don’t:

from the ELCAS website at www.

nationally recognised qualification at

l

enhancedlearningcredits.com

level 3 or above

to course providers until you have

consult your education, learning,

received a claim authorisation note

and line managers to discuss your

training and/or resettlement adviser if

(CAN)

personal development plan

you aren’t sure of the best way to use

plan ahead, leaving at least 25 days

funding for your resettlement training

provider status means that the entire

remember that the scheme operates a

portfolio of a provider’s courses meets

needing to book a course

strict ‘three hits and you’re out’ policy;

the level 3 requirement

be prepared to provide evidence that

if you are eligible and have used the

the course you would like to do is at

Aggregated Lower Tier award you will

financially without having first obtained

least level 3 (or equivalent) on the

not be able to use it again, so think

approval from your own Service and a

National Qualifications Framework

carefully before submitting a claim

CAN from ELCAS

consult your education/learning staff

between submitting a claim and l

(NQF) or Qualifications and Credit

l

l

l

l

l

enrol on a course or commit yourself

enrol on a course with a new provider

Learning Adviser or Single Service

who is awaiting ‘approved’ status;

benefits the Service (unless your claim

representative if your last day in

wait until this has definitely been

is resettlement-related during your last

service alters from that originally

achieved – if this takes too long, look on

stated

the ELCAS website for an alternative

complete and return the evaluation

provider. Q

ensure the course provider has approved provider status by checking

22

l

automatically assume that approved

Framework (QCF),* and that it directly

two years of serving) l

inform your Education Staff,

l

commit any payment contributions

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

l

questionnaire when you’ve finished

Assistant Rail Signalling Installer Training program Based in Ipswich (Suffolk), our training services have been fundamentally recognised as being pro-active, effective and, above all, technically competent. This program gives the candidate the required competencies to become a railway Signalling Installer. The training is an intensive 6 week course, filled with all the safety critical, signalling, technical and electrical knowledge needed to pursue a career within the rail industry. All attendees of this program will be given employment interviews.

Consisting of 9 qualifications, this program is delivered in accordance with the IRSE (Institute of Rail Signal Engineers) licensing scheme conditions. As such, the program satisfies the knowledge requirements that enable delegates to apply for licensing after the appropriate experience criteria has been met. This program is mapped towards achieving IRSE category 1.2.110 (Installation). It is also mapped towards category 1.4.100 and includes the competences required for registration with the Engineering council at the grade of EngTech. (The Engineering Council stipulates a minimum education requirement Equivalent to BTEC L3 or NVQ L3).

For further info please call (01473)242344 or email: info@rttsolutions.co.uk RT Training solutions Ltd registered in England and Wales: 8171597

Q

YOUR ELC DISTANCE LEARNING

Keep your distance! ... and let the classroom come to you

ASK YOURSELF … l

Does the course lead to the qualification I want/need?

l

Will the course train me to the level required (by me or a potential

T

What’s involved?

can study when and where you

Courses delivered through distance

want. There’s no need to be

learning range from those taking as

l

Can I chat to previous learners?

physically on-campus to study or take

little as a few hours, to degrees and

l

Do I have to pass an entry test?

(some) training courses. And that, of

postgraduate qualifications that may

l

How much support is available? And in

course, is a considerable benefit to those

involve several years’ study. So-called

of you posted to far-flung locations,

‘short courses’ typically last days or

meaning that you can continue your

weeks as opposed to months or years.

distance, or is it necessary to attend

studies wherever in the world you may

Even those subjects with a strong

training sessions at specific times?

be. Nothing need come between you and your preparations for life in the civilian world.

As well as ‘distance learning’, you may come across other, related, terms such as ‘open learning’ and ‘distance supported learning’.

practical element often have modules

To see a list of ODL QC-accredited learning providers, go to www.odlqc.org.uk and click on ‘Find an accredited provider’, bottom left.

Can I view the training materials first, before committing?

what form? l

l

Can the whole course be done at a

How much time will I need to set aside for study?

l

How much does the course cost?

Thanks to the

l

Will there be an exam at the end?

wide availability of

l

Is the provider inspected or accredited

useful technology

by an independent body? l

If I choose to study for a degree, do I have to complete it within three years?

these days, learning

In truth, all of these

materials and support

types of learning are

may be provided by either

rough guide, open learning includes

l

that are suited to distance learning.

likely to overlap, but, as a

24

employer)?

hanks to distance learning, you

one or a combination of the following means: books, phone, DVD,

l

Will I receive any special consideration for study problems as a result of operational duties?

l

Is the course available via learning tools that I will be able to access? (For

more face-to-face classes than distance

CD-ROM, email, the internet, podcasts

example, if you are in an environment

learning, while the word ‘supported’

and via mobile learning; the latter is

where IT availability is limited, you

usually indicates that there are tutors

where the student accesses course

should select a course where it is

and physical material available to help

content stored on a mobile device or

possible to use paper and telephone,

students.

through a wireless server. Some providers

at least for a limited period.)

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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

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SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS Policies and procedures that will support you in case of unforeseen circumstances that could impact on your study

Leaving the armed forces or want to boost your CV? Learn a new skill and move up the career ladder.

ELCAS Use your enhanced learning credits towards your course fees

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THE COLLEGE OF

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UWTSD offers a wide range of degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

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t

for Ache UK adem E ic

xperie

nce

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

25

Q

YOUR ELC DISTANCE LEARNING

offer course elements via the iTunes

depth later), or you might be looking to

and learning centres with tutor support,

Store, which can be downloaded free of

focus on something very specific – such as

where students can undertake online

charge. Many courses make extensive

the entrance examinations of a particular

learning, and that use ICT systems to

use of the internet. Others involve tutor

professional body.

enable users to access learning.

groups, which may meet regularly,

Both higher education (HE) and

or ‘summer camps’ of a few weeks’

further education (FE) courses can

direct from the ‘horse’s mouth’

duration to provide classroom education

be taken via distance learning. The

(somebody who has first-hand experience

that complements regular, directed

difference between these is not always

of a course or a training provider),

coursework at a distance.

clear-cut though, and in some cases

written prospectuses and, of course, the

(e.g. foundation degrees), both types

internet. The website of the Open and

are involved. Many qualifications are

Distance Learning Quality Council (ODL

The great thing about distance learning –

modular; this means that you complete

QC) is particularly helpful (again see ‘Key

especially for those, like you, in the Armed

them in sections (modules), often of

contacts’).

Forces – is that it puts you in control of

your own choosing, and credits gained

your education. Once you have chosen

from a selection of such courses can be

and enrolled on your course (see below),

added together to ‘add up’ to degrees and

Who are the learning providers?

you are free to study when, where – and,

other HE qualifications. It is not always

Many learning providers are neither HE

these days, how – you choose, so you can

necessary to have an undergraduate

nor FE institutions, although they may

fit your education around your current

degree to gain a master’s; neither is it

have links of varying strengths with

work and/or family commitments. It’s

necessary to have one in order to achieve

one or more colleges or universities.

entirely up to you.

many professional qualifications.

Many companies run large training

At your convenience

And, of course, in these days of laptops,

Increasingly, Service people like you

departments, and there are also many

notebooks, tablets and mobile learning,

are taking distance learning modules

commercial organisations that provide

you can set up and study at a location of

as part of the training that contributes

training to paying clients. Much of the

your choice – home or work, at a cafe, even

to career progression. So, you could

training such providers deliver is of

while travelling. Importantly, too, you can

be studying with a view to gaining

excellent quality and targeted carefully

work at your own pace – there are no term

qualifications that will help you while in

at the needs of civilian employers in a

times to be rigidly stuck to (although you

the Forces or when you leave, or just for

specific market sector. Many commercial

may have to sit exams, which may take

personal interest – out of enthusiasm for a

businesses offering training use the

place only at specific times).

particular subject.

premises of academic institutions to

To sum up, distance study enables you

But how do you know who is a good

deliver courses, and may have contracts

take responsibility for your own learning.

provider and who is not? And exactly

with employment agencies to help their

However, although you will be in control,

which course do you need? All this choice

students find work.

a good provider will offer support – so you

can prove confusing! In the accompanying

will certainly not be alone, left completely

‘Ask yourself …’ panel, there is a checklist

some of the bigger distance learning

to your own devices, but will have back-up

that should help you.

organisations, however – as mentioned

and assistance as and when you require it.

You are likely to have heard of

above – there are many other providers

There are also likely to be self-checks and

Finding out more

interim tests to help ensure that you are

Service education and training staff,

of courses, some with discounts for

on target, and tutor-marked assessments

both within your unit and specialists, can

Service people (ask your education

to provide valuable feedback, as well as a

often provide the best advice about

telephone helpline to call or someone to

what you might want and what

email for advice if you get stuck.

it is actually possible for you to

How do I choose a course and provider?

achieve. They can also provide you with information about the funding available to support your studies, and

out there too, also offering a wide range

Q

and training adviser for further information). Q

KEY CONTACTS

Although necessarily influenced by

recommend the subjects that you should

demand from learners, there are loads

be encouraged to pursue – particularly

0800 101 901

of courses available in distance learning

with a view to a second career when

www.learndirect.co.uk

form. And because the choice of provider

leaving the Services. Increasing numbers

@learndirect

is huge, too, you are more than likely to

of Forces learning and education centres

be able to track down the course you

and personal learning advisers also have

Open and Distance Learning Quality

are looking for. This may be something

access to e-learning opportunities.

Council (ODL QC)

that will give you a general grounding

26

Other information sources include

Information about courses is also

or background in a particular subject or

available from learndirect (see ‘Key

area (that you may go on to study in more

contacts’). It, too, runs its own courses

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

learndirect

020 8658 8337 www.odlqc.org.uk

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Q Aim higher!

YOUR ELC HIGHER-LEVEL STUDY

Higher education at a college or university is about more than just degree courses – it offers a range of options, including Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNCs and HNDs), and foundation degrees, all of which generally have a more vocational slant. So, if you’re ready to step up to the next level, HE could be the option for you.

I

f you’re thinking of embarking on a

the subject. It might be a really fascinating

the option of progressing to a degree if you

higher education (HE) qualification

course, which promises to lead to a host of

perform well enough on the early parts of

that’s great – you can use your ELC

career openings, but if it turns out you’re no

the course.

to fund anything above level 3, and that

good at it, you’re unlikely to end up with a

includes university modules and nationally

good qualification at the end of it – and may

through students completing a number

recognised diplomas. Other HE courses open

even fail altogether.

of modules, the distinction between HE

to you for consideration include diplomas,

(generally academic) and further education

bachelor’s degrees, foundation degrees

the qualifications you already have and the

(FE) (often vocational) can be unclear.

and postgraduate qualifications. The only

subjects/areas you have a flair for. Other

Credits from a selection of courses can often

problem you are likely to have is in deciding

things you might want to think about include

be added together to gain degrees and other

exactly what and how to study!

the course provider’s academic reputation

HE qualifications.

Choosing an HE course

(you can find university league tables and

Both HE and FE courses can be taken via

subject ranking tables online), its graduate

distance learning. The difference between

You may already have a pretty good idea of

employment rates, and links between the

these is not always clear-cut, though, and

what you’d like to study at a higher level but,

university or college and employers.

in some cases (e.g. foundation degrees),

if you’re unsure, our advice is to make sure

Having decided what you want to study,

both types are involved. Many qualifications

you understand the nature of the subject you

you will be faced with a variety of ways of

are modular; this means that you complete

are considering, especially if it’s something

studying it.

them in sections (modules), often of your

new to you. So do your research, and ensure

28

It’s a good idea to start by thinking about

With many qualifications being earned

own choosing, and credits gained from a

you know exactly what a course is offering

How do HE courses differ?

you – topic areas, what the modules will

The most basic difference is between the

together to ‘add up’ to degrees and other HE

cover, etc. Whatever else you take in to

levels of courses. While most HE courses

qualifications.

consideration, it goes without saying that

lead to a degree, some lead to sub-degree

you must have a strong interest in the

qualifications such as a Higher National

subject and the course content, as you will be

Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma

TO HELP YOU CHOOSE …

spending three years or more occupied with

(HND) or a foundation degree. In general,

Which? University is a free and

it, which won’t be much fun if it turns out

such courses will be shorter than a degree

independent website packed with

you’re not that struck with it after all!

selection of such courses can be gathered

course, more vocationally orientated and will

everything you need to find the right

You are also likely to do better at a

have lower entry requirements. Some will be

university course for you. See

course if you already have an aptitude for

linked to degree courses, though, giving you

http://university.which.co.uk

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

usually takes three or four years to complete

SOURCES OF ADVICE

access support under the FEHE scheme to

full-time (some degrees, such as medicine,

Your line manager should be your

commence studies at master’s level but they

can take five or six years).

first point of contact. Each unit has an

Please note that Service leavers cannot

can utilise their ELC for study at this level.

education/learning specialist, and each

Postgraduate qualifications

Service also has a network of educational

popular higher-level course options you

Postgraduate qualifications are HE

and learning centres where advice can be

could choose from …

qualifications that require learners to have

sought and ideas explored.

Here’s a rundown of some of the other

already completed a bachelor’s degree. Most

Higher national certificates (HNCs) and higher national diplomas (HNDs)

types of postgraduate qualification will include

students get together for joint study periods

taught and research elements. They generally

in open learning, with distance learning

fall into one of two categories: postgraduate

generally catering for students who are so

HNCs and HNDs are work-related

certificate or postgraduate diploma.

far away that they study almost entirely by

(vocational) HE qualifications. While

themselves.

on gaining knowledge, HNCs and HNDs are

Think you’re missing the necessary basics?

designed to give you the skills to put that

If you aren’t already in possession of the

ELC funding for higher education

knowledge to effective use in a particular

lower-level qualifications you would normally

The good news is that your ELC provides you

job. Highly valued by employers, both in

need to build on in order to secure your

with access to a first full level 3 or a first HE

the UK and overseas, they can also count

place on an HE course, the Access to Higher

qualification (e.g. foundation degree, first

towards membership of professional bodies

Education (HE) Diploma – often referred

undergraduate degree or equivalent) free

and other employer organisations. HNCs

to by its shorthand form, Access Diploma

from tuition fees. This commitment means

can take one year to complete full-time and

– could be for you. You can find out all

that Service leavers who have joined at level

two years part-time (or via, say, distance

you need to know about Access Diplomas

2, say, and have taken the opportunity to

learning). HNDs take two years full-time and

in our feature starting on page 44. It’s a

gain a qualification such as an advanced

can also be taken part-time (which takes

qualification that prepares people for study

apprenticeship, or other accredited learning

longer). (The award of an HND requires more

at university, and is designed for those who

at level 3 or equivalent, may now be able to

units to be passed than for an HNC.) They

would like to study in HE but who left school

access their first higher-level qualification.

equate to approximately halfway between

without the usual qualifications, such as

an A-level and a degree, although they are,

A-levels. It is widely accepted by universities

– Defence Direction and Guidance for

as mentioned above, more practically based

and colleges, having been developed with

Training and Education, which can be

than the latter.

their support, and is designed to provide a

accessed and downloaded at www.

good grounding in the knowledge and study

enhancedlearningcredits.com Q

bachelor’s degrees (see below) tend to focus

Full details can be found in JSP822

Foundation degrees

skills needed to succeed in HE. Although

Foundation degrees combine learning with

equivalent to A-levels, Access Diploma

work experience if you decide you want

courses are put together with people who

COURSE FINDERS Full- and part-time courses

to ‘earn while you learn’. The equivalent

haven’t studied for a while in mind – and

l

Unistats: http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/

of two-thirds of a full honours degree, this

most don’t require prior qualifications. Many

Compare official course data from

is a fully flexible qualification that allows

are suitable for study part-time or in the

universities and colleges, including

you to study full- or part-time to fit your

evenings, which adds to their flexibility. Most

student satisfaction and jobs after

lifestyle. On passing, you will gain 240

FE colleges in England and Wales offer such

study (you have to apply to the college

‘points’ towards a full degree course, and full

Access courses, and a number are available

or university direct)

account will be taken of any prior learning

through distance learning, so you should

l

UCAS: http://search.ucas.com

and experience you have accrued, too.

be able to find a course that is convenient

Search and apply for full-time courses

Recent developments, including university

for you, and that caters for your interests

by course name, provider name or

partnerships and funding, make these

or career ambitions. You can find out more

location

qualifications increasingly available to people

about Access to HE courses, browse courses

in the Services.

and read success stories on the Access to

l

nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ advice/courses/Pages/default.aspx

Higher Education homepage at

Degree courses A bachelor’s degree is a course of HE

www.accesstohe.ac.uk

National Careers Service: https://

Search for full- and part-time courses

academic study leading to a qualification

How to learn

such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor

Qualifications can be earned through full-

Postgraduate study

of Science (BSc). They are sometimes known

time courses, part-time courses, day release,

l

as ‘ordinary’ or ‘first’ degrees. A bachelor’s

night school, open and distance learning

degree is designed to give learners a

(see the feature on page 24 of this issue).

thorough understanding of a subject, and

There will usually be more times when

Prospects: www.prospects.ac.uk/ postgraduate-courses

l

Postgraduate Search: www.postgraduatesearch.com

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

29

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

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30

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

PlymUniApply

BE BETTER EQUIPPED WITH AN OU DEGREE Preparing for the move to civilian life? Get a qualification that matters. You’ll find our qualifications are widely recognised in civvy street and come with the benefits of a practical approach to learning that’s ideal while you’re still in the Forces and beyond.

Find out how we can help you develop your career path for civvy street visit openuniversity.co.uk/quest

YOUR ELC HIGHER-LEVEL STUDY

©Crown Copyright 2011

Q

Disabled?

Open up to free study The Open University (OU) recently launched the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund, offering 50 disabled Veterans, injured in, or due to, military service, access to free OU education. In addition to free study, applicants will be offered further specialist careers and disability support. If this is something that could benefit you, read on …

T

he Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships 100 full fee-waiver scholarships

(or equivalent), alongside a wraparound disability and careers support service.

32

l

Fund (DVSF) will seek to fund

be starting OU study in the 2018/19

The DVSF will provide full fee waivers

academic year

up to a maximum of 120 credits per

l

be eligible for a UK fee

academic year, 360 credits in total and

l

be disabled as a result of, or in,

not exceeding £18,000 for the total

military service.

duration of the successful applicant’s

The Open University is offering 100

Full details of the terms and conditions

qualification. Awards will be strictly

scholarships in total split over two

can be found here: www.open.ac.uk/

limited to a single qualification.

years, so 50 places are available in each

courses/getattachment/courses/choose/

academic year 2018/19 and 2019/20. To

Tier-5/Disabled-Veterans-Scholarship/

funding via the DVSF will not be entitled

be eligible to apply for the fund, you must

Disabled-Veterans-Scholarship-Fund-

to claim concurrently for Enhanced

meet all of the following criteria:

Terms-Conditions-FINAL-210318.pdf.aspx

Learning Credits ((ELC) – JSP 822 Part

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Successful applicants who are offered

1 Section 6.5 refers) or Publicly Funded

this, along with your supporting evidence,

Further Education-Higher Education (PF

by the deadline. You can find the

FE-HE) Funding (JSP 822 Part 1 Section

application form here: www.open.ac.uk/

6.6 refers). However, those individuals

courses/getattachment/courses/choose/

All eligible applicants (whether successful

who subsequently successfully complete

Tier-5/Disabled-Veterans-Scholarship/

in gaining a scholarship or not) will be

the entire course with the OU or

Disabled-Veterans-Scholarships-Fund-

entitled to pre-entry careers information,

withdraw from the DVSF may still have an

Application-Form-201819-FINAL.pdf.aspx

advice and guidance. All successful

entitlement to any of their remaining ELC

applicants may also be entitled to receive:

to undertake other courses at level 3 or

Deadline

l

above.

Applications for the DVSF are to be made

WHAT SPECIALIST SUPPORT WILL I RECEIVE? Careers support

specialist resources such as workbooks, webinars and forums

l

l

Additionally, those successful DVSF applicants who do not achieve a level 4

Applicants will be selected at random on 6

support for the duration of study

qualification at 120 credits or more via the

August, with successful applicants notified

additional support will be provided

OU DVSF initiative may still be entitled

by email and letter on or before 10 August.

subject to the requirements and career

to use the PF FE-HE scheme to do so. In

Q

goals of each student.

these circumstances, each instance will be carefully considered, on a case-by-

Disability support l

case basis, to ensure the individual fully

Successful applicants will be able

meets the PF FE-HE scheme eligibility

to request specialist equipment and

criteria and is still within their scheme

disability support. This will be in

membership period.

addition to any support provided via the l

to the OU by midnight on 1 August 2018.

ongoing career coaching/mentoring

KEY CONTACT

Disabled Student’s Allowance.

How to apply

Any additional support will be looked at

Before you apply for the scholarship

on a case-by-case basis, depending on

you will need to reserve a place on the

your requirements.

first module(s) you would like to study

Need more information?

this year. You can then download an

Call an OU adviser on 0300 303 5303

Full details can be found at www.open. ac.uk/courses/choose/veterans

application form, and complete and return

In a property or construction-related role in the Armed Forces?

Why not study a Built Environment degree programme with UCEM? UCEM is a leading, supported online provider of accessible, flexible and cost-effective education producing leading talent for a better Built Environment.

“Flexibility and support was key for me as being in the Army I get deployed regularly… During these deployments I could not have wished for better support from the tutors and support staff.”

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1/4 page.indd 1

All our programmes are delivered via supported online education and we are an approved provider (1322) for the Ministry of Defence Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme (ELCAS) for armed forces personnel and all our programmes are available under this scheme.

See www.ucem.ac.uk for more information

19/12/2017 16:39 questonline.co.uk l May 2018

33

Q

YOUR ELC QUALIFICATIONS TO FURTHER YOUR SERVICE CAREER

Boost your prospects while serving How your ELC can benefit both you and your Service

A

s noted elsewhere in this

include accountancy and management

publication, the main purpose

qualifications, or courses related to

of ELC is to encourage serving

health and safety, and facilities or project

personnel to pursue higher-level learning

management. Depending on your Service

that benefits both the learner and the

role, you could find yourself in a position to

Armed Forces. This is to comply with

embark on a range of studies that will turn

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) rules,

out to have a very useful crossover into

which state that any money provided for

the civilian workplace when the time comes

your personal development has to be of

for you to make the transition.

immediate benefit to both the Armed

For example, thinking of IT training

Forces and the individual – if not, the

as an example, the Tech Partnership (a

TAX EXEMPTION MEASURES FOR THOSE WHO ARE NO LONGER SERVING

MoD would be liable for tax! (See the

network of employers working to creating

Under the ELC scheme, most courses

accompanying box for more tax-related

skills for the UK’s digital economy) has

of study undertaken by individuals still

information.)

been involved in putting together a

serving are exempt from taxation, either

The best of both worlds is offered by

matrix of eligible higher-level vendor IT

as income or as a benefit in kind, if they

those courses that will benefit your own

qualifications, which in these high-tech

can be justified as ‘work related’. In

career and promotion prospects in the

times will prove as useful to you on leaving

order for Service leavers to benefit fully,

Services – and ultimately help you find

as they are while you remain in Service.

too, HMRC and MoD worked together to

employment on leaving – as well as offering

Similar work has taken place with Summit

reach an agreement on tax exemption.

a benefit to the Service while you remain

Skills with regard to building services

This means that the Service leaver (or

in uniform.

engineering-related courses. A great many

their surviving spouse, civil partner or

other areas are likely to serve you well in

eligible partner, where appropriate) will

that your Service role might require,

future, too – not forgetting the benefit to

not be required to pay income tax on

but that are also highly likely to prove

your Service branch now, of course! Q

payments received under the ELC and

Some of the areas of education

useful once you leave the Forces, could

FEHE schemes. This allows them to draw maximum benefit from the schemes.at least for a limited period.

34

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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

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Akona Ltd is an NSARE approved provider of Overhead Akona Ltd is is anan NSAR approved provider ofof Overhead Akona Ltd NSAR approved provider Overhead line Electrification Training which meets to Network Rail line Construction Training which meets toto Network Rail line Construction Training which meets Network Rail Standards.

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Contact Us Visit: www.akona.biz Visit: www.akona.biz Visit: www.akona.biz Email: info@akona.biz Email: training@akona.biz Email: training@akona.biz Tel: 01928 518004 Tel: 01928 518004 Tel: 01928 518004 Rail Course List: Rail Course Rail Course List: AC Personal Track List: Safety Personal Track Safety AC Initial Personal Track Safety AC Initial Personal Track Safety DCCR OLEC 1 11 OLEC OLEC OLEC 2 22 OLEC OLEC OLEC 3 33 OLEC OLEC NVQ Level 3Level Diploma in in Railway Engineering Overhead NVQ Diploma in Railway Railway Engineering NVQ Level 3Level Diploma Railway Engineering Overhead NVQ 3 3Diploma in Engineering Line Construction (QCF) Line Construction (QCF) Technician Competence (RQF) Overhead Line Construction (QCF)

This Level 33 Qualification includes: This Level Qualification includes: This Level 3 Qualification includes: • • Personal Track Safety DCCR (PTS) Personal Track Safety AC Initial (PTS) Personal Track Safety AC Initial (PTS) • • Health and Safety Training (Working Health and Safety Training (Working Health and Safety Training (Working Safely at Heights, Moving and Handling, Safely at at Heights, Manual Handling, Safely Heights, Manual Handling, Manual Handling, Harness Safety,and Fire Harness Safety, Fire Awareness Harness Safety, Fire Awareness and Awareness and Emergency First Aid) Emergency First Aid) Emergency First Aid) • Overhead Line Electrification Level 1 Common Induction (ICI) • Industry Industry Common Induction (ICI) (OLEC 1) • • Overhead Line Electrification Level 1 1 Overhead Line Electrification Level  Overhead Line Electrification Level 2 (OLEC 1) 1) (OLEC (OLEC 2) • Overhead Line Electrification Level 2 Overhead Line Electrification Level  • Overhead Line Electrification Level 3 2 (OLEC 2) (OLEC (OLEC 3) 2)

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For this qualification we can offer you a rail AsAs Akona is is anan ELCAS approved Akona Ltd ELCAS approved sponsor andLtd employment opportunities. training provider this qualification can bebe training provider this qualification can funded byby Enhanced Learning Credits. funded Enhanced Learning Credits.

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

35

Q

YOUR ELC ON COURSE: BUILDING TRADES

Trade up!

Want to turn your talents to a practical career on leaving? One of Britain’s widest-ranging industry sectors, the building trades, has a huge range of roles to choose from. Here’s how to ensure a firm foundation for your new-build future What’s involved?

36

Electrical installation and maintenance Electrical engineers deal with power generation and supply. Modern manufacturing techniques tend to make replacement of a faulty component more cost-effective for the

Construction is Britain’s biggest industry

Building trades careers in brief

and looks set to stay that way: private

Some of the major skills in which people

maintenance engineer has changed, with

housing, and industrial and commercial

who work in the building trades are trained

removal and reinstallation now the norm.

requirements in particular, are expected

include:

to continue to be the main drivers for the

l

electrical installation and maintenance

requirement is the 17th Edition Wiring

sector over the next few years.

consumer than mending it in situ. This means much of the traditional role of the

At the time of writing, the basic

l

plumbing

Regulations, which demonstrate that you

Work in this field covers an enormous

l

bricklaying

know the necessary regulations and how to

variety of roles – so, if you are a practical

l

plastering

use them; it is virtually impossible to start

person, interested in how things work

l

carpentry and joinery (woodworking)

in the industry without this qualification.

and are put together, why not consider

l

gas installation and maintenance

Please note, though, that the 18th Edition

the building trades as a possible way to

l

air conditioning and refrigeration.

to the Wiring Regulations will replace the

construct your ideal next career? Well-

We will look at each of these in turn.

17th Edition from this July. The design

trained, competent trades people are

of electrical installations is not required to

always in demand. Read on to get an idea

comply to the 18th Edition until January

of just some of the main roles that make up

2019 and, until July 2018, you can take only

this busy and diverse sector.

a 17th Edition Wiring Regulations course,

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

TRADES PROFESSIONALS IN DEMAND! So says Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) …

‘The construction industry is in the midst of an acute skills crisis and we are in dire need of more people, including women and ethnic minorities, to join us.

‘Our latest research shows that more than two-thirds of construction SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers and 63 per cent are having problems hiring carpenters. This is a stark reminder of how the government’s housing targets could be scuppered by a lack of skilled workers.’

Electrotechnical Services NVQ at level 3,

City & Guilds domestic heating and

so you might want to think about allocating

plumbing courses cover the essential

your ELC funding to this. You may be

knowledge and skills needed for a

able to qualify through an apprenticeship

successful career in domestic plumbing and

scheme with an electrical contractor, but

heating. Areas of study include:

the range of apprenticeships available

l

domestic hot and cold water systems

will depend on the local jobs market and

l

central heating systems

the types of skills employers need from

l

sanitation systems

their workers. If you are not eligible for

l

environmental technologies

such a scheme, you could learn the theory

l

gas safety.

and some of the practical skills needed

The level 3 NVQ plumbing and heating

for the NVQ by taking the City & Guilds

qualification is aimed at anyone who has

Technical Certificate in Electrotechnical

already completed the level 2 qualification

Technology, levels 2 and 3, at a college.

or has some relevant experience and

However, to become fully qualified you

knowledge. You might want to consider

must complete the work-based NVQ.

using your ELC towards payment. If you

Industry bodies strongly recommend that

choose gas-related units at level 3 you will

you gain a placement or employment with

achieve the Gas Safe licence to practise on

an electrical contractor as soon as possible

successful completion of the course (see

after you start the Certificate, so that you

also ‘Gas installation and maintenance’,

can complete the NVQ.

below).

although course providers are, naturally,

Plumbing

Bricklaying

already offering course dates post-July for

Plumbers install central

This is the job most

18th Edition courses, so it’s probably worth

heating systems, controls

likely to spring to mind

waiting …

and pipework; sanitary

in connection with the

systems; drainage

building trades. And

and Testing of Electrical Installation award

systems; guttering and rainwater systems.

though not the be-all-and-

and, after that, further qualifications

Heating systems may be powered using

end-all, it’s still has a significant part to

to level 4 and beyond through Energy

electricity, gas, oil or solid fuel. Sometimes

play. Bricklayers use many different types

& Utility Skills (the UK authority on

refrigeration and water purification

of material to create different effects (such

professional development and employment

systems are also fitted (but see ‘Air

as ornamental walls and vaulted archways).

in the energy and utilities industries,

conditioning and refrigeration’, below).

They also use a variety of specialist tools

focusing in particular on for power, gas,

Maintenance work includes routine

to spread mortar, cut bricks or blocks to

waste management, water and renewables)

servicing and emergency repairs. Repair

size, and to check that walls are perfect.

and other bodies.

work involves finding faults, replacing or

If you’re considering this role, you should

repairing damaged parts, carrying out

enjoy working outdoors and be happy at

the construction industry and a partner in

tests and making sure everything works

heights. You should also be physically

ConstructionSkills) predicts that there will

properly. A range of hand and power tools

fit, careful, accurate and able to follow

be a growing need for qualified electricians

are used to cut, bend and join metal and

detailed instructions from architects.

over the next couple of years, so the

plastic pipes.

Bricklayers often travel around the

ELECTRICIANS EARN THE MOST!

According to the 2018 Trades Salary Survey, electricians’ salaries are still higher than those of other trades, with the average electrician earning £30,784 Source: Trade Skills 4U blog, 14 November 2017

The next step may be the Inspection

CITB (the industry training board for

prospects are good. However, if you want

Most plumbers in the UK work directly

country, and sometimes abroad.

to qualify as a civilian electrician you will

for a plumbing or maintenance firm, while

Wage rates are set annually by the Building

find that this involves a significant amount

others, particularly in the domestic sector,

and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council

of study/training (even if, while serving,

are self-employed. Plumbers work in a

(BATJIC). Overtime and incentives are

you have been an electrical fitter or

team or alone, and, on domestic repair

often available, and some bricklayers

mechanic, or even an electrical artificer).

and maintenance, tend to deal with clients

progress to technical, supervisory and

Would-be electricians must pass the

direct.

managerial roles.

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

37

Q

YOUR ELC ON COURSE: BUILDING TRADES

Plastering

Wage rates are set annually by BATJIC, with

engineers install, service and maintain the

Most people know about

overtime and incentives often available.

systems that control and preserve air quality,

plasterers applying wet

Carpenters and joiners sometimes move

temperature and humidity in locations such

finishes to walls, ceilings

into other allied occupations, including

as schools and offices. Both may also work

and floors; this is known

formworking, shopfitting, bench joinery,

on construction sites, depending on the type

as solid plastering. Fibrous

maintenance work and interior systems

of work in which they specialise.

plastering involves making ornamental

installation; some move into management or

plasterwork in a workshop – the kind you

run their own businesses.

might see on decorative ceilings. Plasterers

plan to use your ELC for the latter. After that, there is additional training you will

will spend most of their time indoors. Again,

Gas installation and maintenance

wage rates are set annually by BATJIC.

Anyone working on gas

qualified. Although most people start out as

Currently, demand for skilled labour outstrips

appliances or fittings

an apprentice straight from school or college

supply so overtime and incentives are

must be competent and

and train on the job, if you are 25-plus you

often available. Payment to subcontracted

registered with the Gas Safe

can still take an NVQ/SVQ without doing

labour tends to be at an agreed price per

Register (GSR). Competence

an apprenticeship – however, to gain this

linear metre of partition installed, so speed

can continue to be proven under the

qualification, you must be in a position to

and accuracy can be important. The work

Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS)

be assessed on site, carrying out work on

provides a high level of job satisfaction, with

through a distance learning programme.

real installations. As with an apprenticeship,

plasterers often progressing to higher roles

ACS has a two-day core domestic gas safety

you should be prepared to achieve the

or even owning their own companies.

assessment and a number of appliance

qualification over a number of years, not

assessments that take half a day each. A

weeks or months – there is no quick fix to

Carpentry and joinery (woodworking)

competent student should take five days to

gaining the right qualifications and it is likely

pass the full domestic suite of qualifications.

to take around four years.

Carpenters and joiners

Energy & Utility Skills has developed a set

prepare and put in place

of occupational standards and qualifications

working in this sector, and about relevant

most of the wooden

at levels 1 to 4. The objective is that the

training providers, on the websites of

parts of buildings – from

resulting qualifications will be as common as

the Chartered Institution of Building

floorboards and roof

possible across industries to enable workers

Services Engineers, the Air Conditioning

trusses to expertly crafted windows

freedom of employment in the entire sector.

and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB)

have to be prepared to work at heights, and

and doors. They use very specialised

need to complete in order to become fully

You can find more information about

and SummitSkills (the standard-setting organisation for the building services

different kinds of wood. They often work

Air conditioning and refrigeration

in teams and have to be able to calculate

The refrigeration and air

these, see ‘Key contacts’).

angles and dimensions to make sure

conditioning (RAC) industry

everything fits. They need mathematical

is growing in importance:

aptitude and generally have to be just as

ensuring that the air in

good with their heads as their hands.

particular environments

woodworking tools and work with many

is neither too hot nor too cold calls for

THE CONSTRUCTION SKILLS CERTIFICATION SCHEME The CSCS was set up to help the construction industry improve quality and reduce accidents. CSCS cards are increasingly demanded as proof of occupational competence by contractors, public and private clients and others. They cover hundreds of building trades-related occupations so there is a card suitable for all roles (for example, ‘Craft and Operative’ cards include those for bricklayers, carpenters and joiners, formworkers and plasterers).

To find out more, visit: www.cscs.uk.com

38

To start out in this sector, you will need an NVQ or SVQ at level 2 or 3, so you could

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

specialist skills. This is an environmentally friendly and highly technical industry – part of the RAC engineer’s job is to ensure people and businesses are using energy as efficiently as possible, by working with renewable technology (special types of gas that don’t damage the ozone layer) and seeing how consumers can reduce their energy consumption.

Careers in this industry may be roughly divided into two areas. Refrigeration engineers install, service and maintain refrigeration systems in establishments like supermarkets, hospitals and food-processing plants. Air conditioning

engineering sector) (for details of all of

Get qualified!

eventually becoming fully professionally

savvy move. University students graduate

Many of the trades discussed above are

qualified, perhaps even with a degree.

with an average £50,800 of debt, according

learned on the job, but the construction

to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, while

industry also has training schemes that

What can you earn?

combine working and education to produce

FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry says,

debt free. Not only that, apprentices earn

qualifications that you can build up over time

‘Money talks, and when it comes to annual

while they learn, taking home around

to develop expertise in a particular area.

salaries, a career in construction trumps

£17,000 a year.’

While one person might start by learning

many university graduate roles.

the basics of a trade, and go on to become

‘The average university graduate earns

apprentices pass the finish line completely

Use your ELC

an expert in a particular part of it, another

£32,000 a year, whereas your average

Under the ELC scheme, a wide range of

might build a portfolio in a number of skills

brickie or roofer is earning £42,000 a

learning can be taken, provided it is offered

to qualify them for a supervisory role then

year across the UK. Indeed, in London, a

by an approved provider listed on the ELC

general management.

bricklayer is commanding wages of up to

website at www.enhancedlearningcredits.

It is becoming increasingly necessary to hold

£90,000 a year.

com and is at level 3 or above. For full details

Q

registration or certification of competence

‘Pursuing a career in construction is

of how to make the most of your ELC, refer

and/or training in particular aspects of

therefore becoming an increasingly

to our in-depth features on pages 10–34. Q

building skills to secure employment in the industry. Ambitious people can start by gaining vocational qualifications in any of the trades

KEY CONTACTS

described here while working, and develop

General

their skills through technical training,

Find out more about the Building and Allied

03333 218230

perhaps gaining certificates or diplomas,

Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC), via:

administration@jib.org.uk

Federation of Master Builders (FMB)

www.jib.org.uk

0330 333 7777

Joint Industry Board

@JIBelectrical

reception@fmb.org.uk

Why choose the National Construction College?

It’s CITB’s network of colleges, training and assessing construction skills UK-wide www.citb.co.uk/trainingcourses/why-choose-nationalconstruction-college

www.fmb.org.uk

Semta (the Science, Engineering,

@fmbuilders

Manufacturing and Technologies Alliance) 0845 643 9001

Chartered Institution of Building Services

customerservices@semta.org.uk

Engineers (CIBSE)

www.semta.org.uk

020 8675 5211

@SemtaSkills

membership@cibse.org www.cibse.org

Plumbing, bricklaying, plastering,

@CIBSE

woodworking CITB

CSCS Ltd

0344 994 4400

0344 994 4777

www.citb.co.uk

customerservice@cscs.gb.com

@CITB_UK

www.cscs.uk.com @CSCS

Gas installation and maintenance Energy & Utility Skills Limited

SummitSkills

0845 077 9922

020 7313 4890

www.euskills.co.uk

enquiries@summitskills.org.uk

@EUSkills

www.summitskills.org.uk @SummitSkills

Gas Safe Register 0800 408 5500

Electrical installation and maintenance

enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk

City & Guilds

www.gassaferegister.co.uk

0844 543 0000

@GasSafeRegister

centresupport@cityandguilds.com www.cityandguilds.com

Air conditioning and refrigeration

@cityandguilds

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) 020 8254 7842 www.acrib.org.uk

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

39

Q

YOUR ELC ON COURSE: BUILDING TRADES

Building trades Q&A with Able Seaman Specialist, Liam McGough Enlisted: November 2008 Years served: 9 Exit date: November 2017 Service branch: Royal Navy Specialisation/trade: Seaman Specialist, Warfare

Before you started, what did you hope the course would give you?

I hoped it would set me up for a career on the outside and it did! It gave me a whole new career as a fully qualified gas engineer – and now the possibilities are endless.

What advice do you have for other Service people registering for or using ELC? It’s a great system to help educate you further or to get you started on a new career.

What is your current job?

I work for property development, management and maintenance company, Bernicia Homes, as a gas engineer.

Please describe what this job involves on a day-to-day basis?

I service and repair gas appliances. The job Hello Liam! Please tell us your reasons for

What qualification have you achieved as a

leaving the Services.

result of using ELC?

I left for family reasons, and also because I

A gas engineer qualification, taken with

What training or experience gained during

wanted a new career and challenge.

NGST Newcastle. The course was very

your Service career are you now finding

well run. The staff were all pleasant – very

useful in civilian life?

Did you attend a Career Transition

professional and approachable – and the

My ability to talk to people.

Workshop and, if so, where?

course was a mixture of academic and

Yes, in Portsmouth. It helped me understand

vocational study.

is different every day and gets you thinking.

What are the major differences between your Service role and your current job?

how to write my CV so it would stand out.

How much study was involved?

Finishing times, overtime pay – and now I get

Tell us when and why you registered for

There were two or three weeks of class work

to go home at the end of the day!

ELC?

and the placement was seven to ten weeks,

When I joined, I was offered ELC and I

depending on what qualification you already

Is there a significant difference in salary

registered as soon as I could as I saw it as a

had. On the course I learned how to service

(good or bad)?

good opportunity.

and repair all gas appliances and become Gas

I earn more now than I did in the Services.

Safe registered – a career to be proud of.

How did you select your course?

40

What advice would you like to give to

I used the ELCAS website – it was very easy

Did you attend any other related courses

other Service leavers going through their

and straightforward.

and, if so, which?

own resettlement and career transition?

Yes. I also did my unvented with NGST

Get as much information as you can from

Newcastle.

your Resettlement Centre. Q

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

41

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43

Q

YOUR ELC HIGHER-LEVEL STUDY

Find a new place to belong

Higher education is not for everyone, but it could be your route through transition. Access to HE qualifications have already been the stepping stone to new careers for many members of the Forces family. Find out how the Access to Higher Education Diploma changed the lives of Mark, Tommy and Susan …

course gave me a

T

he Access to Higher Education (HE)

tutors, it provided me with the tools and,

level of fulfilment

Diploma is designed for adults and

above all, the self-belief to undertake a

that I hadn’t

is taken by people of all ages and

higher education course.’

experienced

backgrounds. It’s a nationally recognised

He was a little nervous about starting

before’

Susan Nelson

qualification designed for people who left

the course as he hadn’t particularly

school with few qualifications but want to

enjoyed school and had few formal

get into higher education. Many are looking

qualifications. To his surprise, he found he

to transition to a new career. Joining an

really enjoyed studying and sharing ideas

Access to HE Diploma course may help

with other students. He recalls moving to

Course coordinator (Army child)

you, too, to build support networks outside

the local pub to continue discussions over a

Sue’s father was in the Army, meaning she

the patch. Access to HE students have a

pint when a study group was thrown out of

moved around a lot when she was growing

common bond – they have achieved against

college by a caretaker who was locking up!

up. She’d been to 11 schools by the time she

Before starting his degree, Mark’s plan

was 12 and felt it messed up her education.

the odds.

Susan Nelson

had been to train as a teacher. However,

She left school at 15 with no qualifications

‘Access to HE

he enjoyed the course so much that he

and went to work as a goods inward clerk.

gave me renewed

decided to continue studying and returned

confidence in my

to university to complete a Master’s in

more and more frustrated. She worked

ability to learn’

Public Administration. While studying for

in a series of unskilled jobs because she

this, he was awarded a studentship to

could never prove to anyone she could do

cover his tuition fees and living expenses,

anything more challenging. But all the time

allowing him to carry out three years of

she felt sure she was capable of a lot more.

Senior Lecturer in Politics and Public Policy (former Chief Petty Officer)

doctoral research. He received his PhD

At 43 years old, and the mother of

Dr Mark Field

Dr Mark Field

As time went by, she started to feel

in European Politics in 2015 and around

two school-aged children, a friend told

the same time was appointed Senior

her about the Access to HE course. Her

Mark did his Access to HE course part-

Lecturer in Politics and Public Policy at the

family decided they could manage without

time, two evenings a week, over two years.

university.

her earnings for a year while she did the

During this time he continued to work full-

Mark says: ‘I never imagined that I

course, so she signed up.

time as a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal

would end up as part of the university’s

Navy.

academic community, but study changes

level of fulfilment she hadn’t experienced

us. That I did is entirely thanks to the

before. She says: ‘The tutors introduced us

who, like me, didn’t have a wholly positive

friendly and supportive atmosphere that

to subjects and ideas that we’d never come

experience of school, and as a result spent

the Access to HE course provided.

across before – it opened our eyes to a new

‘There are probably a lot of people

years assuming that academic study wasn’t

44

‘The Access to HE

‘If you have a sense of curiosity, and

for them. For me, undertaking an Access to

you’re willing to commit time to study,

HE course changed that view. With the help

an Access to HE course is a fantastic

of supportive, good-humoured and patient

opportunity.’

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

The Access to HE course gave her a

way of seeing things. The course was really well planned.

‘The tutors were so enthusiastic and understood our learning needs really well.

When your confidence was beginning to

l

the Publicly Funded FE/HE scheme (the

wobble they’d step in with the right advice.

higher education course must be done

As the course progressed, I learned how to

immediately after the Access to HE

get the best out of myself and I continued

courses)

to apply those skills throughout my time at

l

university.’

The publicly funded FE and HE scheme

Tommy Sharpe

would pay for your Access to HE Diploma and degree, as long as the Diploma is in a subject leading to degree and is

Tommy joined the Royal

more information. You may prefer to use

Marines at 21 but had

learning credits (ELC or SLC) to pay for

to leave after 12 years

your course – many Access to HE providers

because of ill health.

are listed on the ELCAS website.

done immediately before your degree studies. Your education officer will have

don’t currently start until you start to earn

He had no plans for his

more than £25,000 per year. And if you

future.

successfully complete a QAA-recognised loan will be cancelled when you complete

Veterans in the care system, so he decided

your higher education course. For more

he wanted to follow his sister into social

information about Advanced Learner

work and to work with Veterans. He’d left

Loans visit www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-

school with few qualifications but a call to

loan

Diploma.

‘I had very low confidence, believing

pport prefer a su network?

dy need to stu ? rs u o h d d o

Classroom based

Online or distance learning

happy working alone?

receive a childcare allowance grant that doesn’t need to be repaid. You can see if you get help for childcare using the

system. The Access to HE course gave me

calculator here: www.gov.uk/childcare-

self-belief. I didn’t realise it at the time but,

calculator Many universities also offer

looking back on it, some of the problem of

funds to help with the cost of going to

my lack of confidence came from not being

university.

With the support of other students, he

ted?

self-motiva

If you live in England, you may also

that I didn’t belong in the education

very good at reading.’

dy need to stu e? m o h to close

Access to HE course, the balance of the

made him aware of the challenges faced by

a university pointed him to an Access to HE

g in a like workin team?

Advanced Learner Loan repayments

Marines, and it was over.

His experience in military hospitals

Online or distance learning

Advanced Learner Loan.

Undergraduate student, University of East Anglia (former Royal Marine)

His life had been the

Classroom based

like working in a team? prefer a support network?

self-motivated? need to study odd hours?

It is important to look in to your funding options carefully, to make sure you make

achieved his Access to HE Diploma and was

the best choice for you and your family.

able to take up the offer of a place to study

Access to HE providers, your education

social work at university. He is currently

officer or transition staff should be able to

Find out more

enjoying his work placement.

help you choose the best route.

For more information, sign up here for our

‘I genuinely believe that becoming a social worker will have as big an impact on

Once you’ve got your funding in place …

email newsletter for Service Personnel, their families and advisers: http://qaa.us3.

when I was a 21-year-old bloke. And now,

You’re ready for that new start, you’re ready to enrol

using what I learned on my Access to HE

You might be interviewed to make sure the

You may also find these websites helpful:

course and my experience in the Marines,

course is right for you.

l

my life as the Marines did. I couldn’t have been any more ready to join the Marines

I feel like I couldn’t be more prepared to

f59dec787dc820f&id=de268c74ae

Find out about courses at your local

go in the direction that I want to go in:

college and check the ELCAS website. And

working with Veterans.’

think carefully about how you like to work.

But doesn’t this all come at a cost?

list-manage.com/subscribe?u=005201c8e9

Are you happiest working as part of a

www.accesstohe.ac.uk l

Service leavers have several options to

you prefer to work alone, online learning

fund their studies:

could be better, although nowadays

l

Enhanced Learning Credits (if you’re

most courses have some parts that are

registered)

completed online.

Real life stories – www.accesstohe. ac.uk/Access/RealLife

l

team? If so, perhaps learning that involves some classroom activity is best for you. If

Access to HE website –

Diploma database – www.accesstohe. ac.uk/SubSites/PublicSearch/

l

Advanced Learner Loans – www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan

l

ELCAS – www.enhancedlearningcredits. com

l

UCAS – www.ucas.com

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

45

Q

YOUR ELC ON COURSE: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

Release your potential Power up your future with a career in electrical or electronic engineering, whose applications span a host of diverse industries What’s involved?

I

Electrical and electronic engineering

tend to make replacement of a faulty

includes such areas as informatics,

with power generation and power supply,

component more cost-effective for the

control, electronics and communications,

while electronic engineering is about the

consumer than repairing it. This means

power management, manufacturing and

way electricity is used to control equipment.

that much of the traditional role of the

science, and engineering and technology.

However, the very close association of the

maintenance engineer has changed,

Its associated industries span aerospace,

Institute of Electrical Engineers with the

particularly in the electronics field, with

construction, media and communications,

British Computer Society demonstrates that

removal and reinstallation of faulty chips

medical technologies, railways and road

the line between electrical and electronic

and boards the norm.

transport.

engineering is blurred.

46

Modern manufacturing techniques

n simple terms, electrical engineers deal

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Skill up while serving

in a relevant electronics subject (e.g.

All three Services have electronic

electronic/electrical engineering or

engineering specialists, working on

engineering technology). An employer may

sophisticated and complex instruments,

accept qualifications in related subjects

vehicles, engines (including nuclear

if electronics was covered as part of

reactors) and other equipment.

the course. Examples include software

Qualifications range from NVQ level

engineering, computer science and

2, national certificates and diplomas

aerospace engineering.

(NCs and NDs), through apprenticeships to master’s degrees, with institute

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) website has details of

membership at the appropriate

colleges and universities offering

grade being available to most professional engineers.

Electrical engineering is somewhat different.

In general, Forces electricians work on equipment that moves rather than static

suitable courses, as well as

FIND OUT MORE

More specific information on some aspects of electronic engineering can be found in our articles on computing and IT, and telecommunications, which you can find at www.questonline.co.uk

installations, although

(There is more about the IET in the section on ‘Professional organisations’, below.)

For electrical engineering, the basic requirement is the 17th Edition Wiring

Royal Engineers electricians

Regulations, which demonstrate

work across the whole spectrum

WHEN LOOKING FOR YOUR FIRST JOB, IT MAY HELP YOU TO HAVE SOME WORK EXPERIENCE

advice about applying.

that the individual knows the necessary

of power supply, from generation

regulations and how to use them – it is

to distribution, often in difficult and

virtually impossible to get started in the

dangerous environments. The Royal Navy’s

industry without this qualification. Please

engineers are very familiar with electrical

note, however, that the 18th Edition to

generation and distribution on-board ship.

the Wiring Regulations will replace the

Get qualified!

17th Edition from this July. Find out more about this, and other useful information

It is necessary to have appropriate

on electrical installation, engineering and

qualifications to work in any branch of

maintenance careers in our in-depth look

engineering. The academic ones include

at the building trades, on page 36.

degrees, diplomas and certificates, while

TRANSLATE YOUR SKILLS If you have the following skills and abilities, a career in electrical or electronic engineering could be for you: l independent thought l imagination and vision l an innovative approach l above-average intelligence l a keenness to learn, combined with logical reasoning l an aptitude and liking for mathematics l ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

To succeed as an engineer, you must be able to identify a problem and then try to find the best solution as quickly as possible – and at the lowest cost. And, sometimes, finding the optimum solution will call for ‘unlogical’ thinking.

vocational qualifications include A-levels,

Professional organisations

apprenticeships, and national and Scottish

The Engineering Council UK is the

vocational qualifications (NVQs/SVQs).

profession’s lead body and registers

You will also need colour-normal vision for

all engineers who have met standards

this type of work.

of education, training and professional

To become an electrical engineer,

competence. It holds the national registers

you would usually need to complete an

of:

HNC, HND or foundation degree, degree

l

Chartered Engineers (CEng)

in electrical or electronic engineering

l

Incorporated Engineers (IEng)

or related subject (e.g. building services

l

Engineering Technicians (EngTech),

engineering). Many appropriate courses are widely available, in areas including: electrical or electronic engineering,

and l

Information and Communications Technology Technicians (ICTTech).

mechanical engineering, aeronautical

It also sets and maintains the

engineering and building services

internationally recognised standards of

engineering. With a degree in a relevant

competence and ethics that govern the

subject, you may be able to join a

award and retention of the above titles.

company’s graduate trainee scheme.

To become an electronic engineer,

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is the second-largest

you would, again, normally need an HNC

professional engineering body in the world.

or HND, foundation degree or degree

It has active networks of members across

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

47

Q

YOUR ELC ON COURSE: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

the world and five categories of individual

including productivity, skills levels and

Institution of Building Services Engineers

membership. You can read about these in

wages. It also runs the Electrotechnical

will give you access to CPD schemes,

detail on its website (see ‘Key contacts’).

Certification Scheme (ECS), under

news on industry developments and

The Science, Engineering and

which people are issued with cards that

opportunities for further training. If you

Manufacturing Technologies Alliance

show their overall level of competence,

have a relevant degree, you may be able

(Semta) is an employer-led not-for-profit

specialisations and qualifications (see box).

to join your employer’s graduate training

organisation responsible for developing

Use your ELC

of UK industry. Says its Chief Executive,

Under the ELC scheme, a wide range of

prospects by working towards incorporated

Ann Watson: ‘The demand for talented

learning can be taken, provided it is offered

(IEng) or chartered (CEng) status. To

and qualified employees has never

by an approved provider listed on the ELC

do this, you should register with your

been greater. We act as the catalyst to

website at www.enhancedlearningcredits.

relevant professional body and apply to

reconnect education and industry, and

com and is at level 3 or above. For full

the Engineering Council. You can find out

create the highly skilled and dynamic

details of how to make the most of your

more on the Engineering Council website

workforce needed to re-energise UK

ELC, refer to our in-depth features on

(see ‘Key contacts’). As an incorporated

industry and drive its future success.’

pages 10–34.

engineer, you would specialise in the

With this very much in mind, Semta has

You could also improve your career

day-to-day management of engineering

developed a series of engineering national

Training and development

occupational standards (NOS) at levels

Once in a role, you may benefit from

have a more strategic role, planning,

1 to 5, which underpin the qualifications

on-the-job training courtesy of your

researching and developing new ideas, and

relevant to study in this field (further

employer. In any case, it is important

streamlining management methods.

information is available direct from Semta

that you continue to develop your

– see ‘Key contacts’).

skills and knowledge throughout your

(degrees and above) generally plan

career, through continuing professional

and manage electrical and electronic

Joint Industry Board regulates relations

development (CPD). Membership of a

engineering projects, with the next level of

between employers and employees,

professional body like the IET or Chartered

expertise supervising their implementation,

The Electrical Contracting Industry’s

THE ELECTROTECHNICAL CERTIFICATION SCHEME (ECS) An ECS card is instantly recognisable within the electrotechnical industry and allows you to demonstrate your credentials to others – from employers and clients to business contacts and colleagues. The card displays your qualifications and main electrical occupation, shows you have been H&S assessed and proves your identity on site.

You will find it increasingly difficult to get employment on building sites without one because many UK employers specify that holding the appropriate ECS card is compulsory for those working with electricity on their sites.

To find out more, visit www.ecscard.org.uk

48

scheme.

engineering skills to support the future

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

operations. At chartered level, you would

The most highly qualified people

and the least skilled people actually doing

gain experience. Once they have worked

qualified people, starting at about

the work. Experience leads to bigger

for a while on a number of projects, and

£25,000, and with an upper limit

and better jobs, while gaining academic

have a good reputation and the necessary

that depends entirely on the type of

and vocational qualifications will make it

qualifications, they can set up on their

work done, the contract terms, the

possible for you to develop and move up

own. All contractors must inspect and test

seniority of the individual, and the

the career ladder.

their own work. They may also inspect and

company. The average income for a

test other electrical work for landlords,

qualified chartered electrical engineer is

Finding employment When looking for your first job, it may help

insurance companies and major builders.

£50,000. l

you to have some work experience. You

What can you earn?

can gain this through a work placement as

As this is such a wide-ranging industry, the

part of a course or by arranging your own

following figures can give only a very

placement with a relevant company.

rough guide to salaries in this sector.

In the electrical engineering industry,

l

Adult trainee electricians aged

and electronic engineers can earn

Q

projects are usually contracted and

21-plus will probably start on

then subcontracted to many different

about £17,000, with improvers

entities. Most people start out in the field

on around £20,000 and approved

as an electrician’s mate or work for a

electricians on about £25,000. They will

contractor for a minimum of two years to

also receive shift pay and overtime. The estimated starting salary for a graduate

INFORM YOURSELF You may find the following useful resources for finding vacancies and general background reading: l CIBSE Journal Jobs: http://jobs.cibsejournal.com l JustEngineers: www.justengineers.net l The Engineer: www.theengineer.co.uk l Universal Jobmatch: www.gov.uk/ jobsearch

electrical engineer is £20,000. l

EngTechs might expect to earn around £28,000, while IEngs could start on £20,000, rising to £35,000 as they gain experience, and up to £50,000 for senior people. CEngs are the most

In general terms, experienced electrical between £25,000 and £40,000 a year, and senior electronic engineers between £40,000 and £55,000. Q

KEY CONTACTS

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) 020 8675 5211 membership@cibse.org www.cibse.org @CIBSE Electrical Contractors Association 020 7313 4800 membership@eca.co.uk. www.eca.co.uk @ECALive Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) 01923 260000 ecitb@ecitb.org.uk www.ecitb.org.uk @ECITB_Skills Engineering Council UK 020 3206 0500 www.engc.org.uk @EngCouncil Institution of Engineering and Technology 01438 313311 postmaster@theiet.org www.theiet.org @TheIET

TO SUCCEED AS AN ENGINEER, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM AND FIND THE BEST SOLUTION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

Joint Industry Board 01322 661600 administration@jib.org.uk www.jib.org.uk @JIBelectrical Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (Semta) 0845 643 9001 customerservices@semta.org.uk www.semta.org.uk @SemtaSkills

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

49

Q

YOUR ELC HELP AND ADVICE

Useful contacts

Need to know more? Here’s who can help …

F

or general enquiries about

Education and Resettlement Staff

RetResSO2or Civ: elc@detsa.co.uk

the scheme, eligibility and

seeking further clarification of sS

(

qualifications, seek advice from

instructions should contact SO3 EL3R,

Mil: 94391 7580 Civ: 01264

381580)

at DII: ‘NAVY TRG HQ-EL3R RESET

resettlement staff in the first instance,

SO3C’ (

not ELCAS. ELCAS’s role is to administer

625954)

Education Coordinators (REC) at RAF

Mil: 93832 5954 Civ: 02392

l

RAF: Personal Learning Advisors

the following single-Service education and

(PLAs), and Resettlement and

Army: Individual Education and

Learning Centres. Education and

guidance on eligibility or education/

Resettlement Officers (IERO), at Army

Resettlement Staff seeking further

learning or resettlement needs. Policy

Education Centres, which must be used

clarification of sS instructions should

helpline details are as follows.

by Service leavers on resettlement.

contact SO2 Accreditation at DII:

RN: RN/RM Education and

Education and Resettlement Staff

’22TrgGp-CTS-AndEWg-SO2’ (

Resettlement Officers (EROs), Naval

seeking further clarification of sS

95751 6888 Civ: 01400 266888)

Education and Training Support

instructions should contact the relevant

Officers (NETSOs) and Naval

SO2 Retention and Resettlement in

In addition, advice on any aspect of the

Resettlement Information Officers

Regional Command (RC) – DII: RC-Pers-

ELC and FEHE schemes is available from:

(NRIOs) at RN/RM Learning Centres.

ETS-N-RetResSO2 or RC-Pers-ETS-S-

applications, not provide advice and

l

l

Mil:

People-TESRR-ResetOffice@mod.uk Q

Electrical Courses Ltd Train to become an Electrician!

We offer the following industry recognised courses for aspiring and already qualified Electricians; •

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•

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•

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•

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For more information call 01223 834062 or email info@electricalcoursesuk.co.uk

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May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

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Q Plan ahead!

Courses 4 Forces Spring final 2015_C4F 16/03/2015 11:25 Page 52

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What is Personal Development (PD)?

www.gastectraining.co.uk

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

Other sources of information include:

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

A PD  Route Map

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

Individual decides: >> 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 the internet Quest magazine friends and family Quest website: questonline.co.uk

Q

In-Service

Local colleges or training providers

Distance/ open learning

eLearning – the Defence Learning Environment (DLE)

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

See Q 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

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 Environment (DLE) 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 via your Defence Gateway account. Visit http://www.da.mod.uk/ Courses/Online-E-Learning/DLE or www.defencegateway.mod.uk

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!

Distance Learning

Q

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. Standard Learning Credits (SLC) and Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) can be used for many of these courses but certain conditions may apply (see Sources of advice and finance).

To find out more, check out the article about distance learning on page 24.

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College Courses

Q

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.

Personal Development Record (PDR)

Q

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: Q Service personnel

Sources of advice and finance Standard Learning Credits

Q

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.

Enhanced Learning Credits

Q

The ELC scheme offers currently serving or former Service personnel access to a first full level 3 (GCE A-level or vocational equivalent) or a first higher education (HE) qualification (e.g. a foundation degree or a first undergraduate degree or equivalent) free from tuition fees.

The ELC lower tier offers up to three payments of up to £1,000 in three separate financial years; the higher tier offers up to three payments of up to £2,000 in three separate financial years.

A new Publicly Funded Further Education/Higher Education ELC was created in 2016. It’s an aggregated lower-tier award, which is a single payment of up to £3,000 for those with six or more years of qualifying service, which will count as all three awards.

You must make a contribution to your learning of at least 20% of the cost, and must discuss your plans with your line manager and education adviser before making any financial commitment.

Detailed information about ELC can be found in the first half of this magazine.

For full details visit www.enhancedlearningcredits.com

Individual Resettlement Training Costs grant

Q

The IRTC grant is available to Service leavers with six or more years’ service and all Medical Discharges. It is a contribution to training costs and can be used internally at the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) Aldershot, or at a Regional Resettlement Centre (RRC) for vocational training courses. It can also be used externally for training with CTP Preferred Suppliers.

IRTC is available for tuition fees up to a maximum of £534. A range of courses at the RTC Aldershot is delivered within the MoD contract, called Contract Funded (CF) training. These courses are pre-paid by the MoD and only ‘cost’ the Service leaver time and a portion of their £534 allowance. No money changes hands for the training but days and funding are deducted from the GRT allocation at a rate of £26.70 per day. The £534 gives access to up to 20 days of CF training. Any exam or registration fees are extra and payable by the student, but other allowances may be available to help with these.

The CTP also offers a range of courses that are not within the MoD contract.

These are known as Non-Contract Funded courses and you can use your IRTC grant or ELC to pay for these.

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.

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.

You can also check online to see if you are eligible – visit www.gov.uk/career-development-loans

QUEST questonline.co.uk

Key: Q Service personnel

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Q

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 Veterans UK’s free helpline on 0808 1914218. Alternatively, you can visit: www.veterans-uk.info

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: 0371 468 0468 or visit www.ucas.com

University Short Courses

Q

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

learndirect learndirect is a free government service via 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.

Advisers can answer questions on any aspect of learning.

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

Jobcentre Plus 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 calculators’ pages (www.gov.uk – search for ‘benefits calculators’).

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 Welsh-language 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

Q

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.)

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

53

Q

HUB THE

THE HUB

>> Course and training options, transition news and reader reports

Woodward signs up to the Armed Forces Covenant

Woodward delivered the very first NEBOSH National General Certificate resettlement course at Catterick Garrison in March 1993, and we’ve been delivering NEBOSH resettlement training to Service leavers ever since – with excellent results.

In March 2018 we were delighted to be able to further demonstrate our support for the Armed Forces Community by signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant. In doing so we commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces community. We recognise the value that Serving Personnel (both Regulars and Reservists), Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

Part of this commitment is offering discounted training courses to members of the Armed Forces Community through our discounted NEBOSH training package scheme.

Five-course, 30-day NEBOSH Resettlement Package Our five-course NEBOSH Resettlement Package, offered at our Catterick training venue, allows you to get amazing value for your ELC claim, with the added convenience of being able to choose to stay on base at Catterick Garrison during the course. It comprises the following elements: l NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health l NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health l NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Safety and Health l NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management l NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management

Other options We also have two-, three- and four-course NEBOSH Resettlement Packages available. However, each course is limited to 20 delegates, so if you are interested in booking please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Get in touch 01228 592614 info@woodwardgroup.co.uk http://woodward-group.co.uk/military-resettlement See the advertisement on page 15

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>> COURSE NEWS

Ever thought about a career in osteopathy?

Join the College of Osteopaths at its next open day and get a real feel for the college and the people …

In 2012 Barney Polden decided to study at the College of Osteopaths. The part-time structure, which continues for the entire length of the five-year course, allows students to continue to work full-time if necessary.

This was a key factor in Barney’s decision to study at the College of Osteopaths as he wished to continue his Service with the RAF. The course is listed with ELCAS, which enabled Barney to access some funding towards the fees.

The College of Osteopath’s unique part-time degree pathway allows you to study while you continue with your current lifestyle, be that full- or part-time work, or otherwise.

We are a small college with a big heart, and we want everyone who joins us to succeed. We know how important this commitment is to you and we want you to feel comfortable with us. You’ll have to do most of the work but we will be right there behind you.

Join us for a presentation and the chance to ask questions about what it is like to study with us – and what it’s like once the studying is over!

To find out more, visit www.collegeofosteopaths. ac.uk/open-days See the advertisement on page 25

>> FREE COURSE OFFER! >> TEACHER TRAINING

New bursary to get Veterans into teaching

Get a cyber security career in your sights

A new government bursary of £40,000 will be available from September 2018 for ex-Service personnel to retrain as teachers …

Pupils across the country are set to benefit from the leadership and world-renowned expertise of our Armed Forces as the government unveils a £40,000 bursary for ex-Service personnel to retrain as teachers. From September, courses at universities nationwide will offer the incentive to Veterans who have left full-time employment in the British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Navy in the last five years, or anyone leaving before training begins.

Through leadership, teamwork and problem solving, Veterans are ideally suited to a career in teaching once they leave the Armed Forces. The incentive will help ex-Service men and women – who have spent their career honing the discipline, motivation and unique skills needed to become great teachers – make the transition to the classroom, where they can share their expertise with the next generation.

The bursary will be offered on priority undergraduate courses in biology, chemistry, computing, maths and modern foreign languages, and will replace the existing Troops to Teachers Programme, providing Veterans with greater flexibility and enabling them to train with any Initial Teacher Training provider, while still receiving the same level of financial support.

In addition to the bursary, trainees will also have access to further support through the government’s Get Into Teaching service and other financial incentives.

Ahmed Al-Nahhas, partner in the military claims team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, comments: ‘This new bursary should be welcomed with open arms. It is very encouraging to see the Department for Education taking its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant seriously. Veterans have had such rich life experiences and this, coupled with their training, discipline and problem-solving skills, makes them excellent teachers. It would be great to see more resettlement programmes like this introduced across specific sectors, where Veterans could make a real difference.’

Applications for 2018 courses are now open. Applicants must: l be undergraduates (i.e. not already have a degree) l have left full-time employment in the British Forces in the past five years l be interested in studying and qualified to study the priority subjects of secondary maths, biology, chemistry, physics, computing or modern foreign languages l meet the appropriate initial teacher training (ITT) eligibility criteria.

Military Veterans are invited to apply for places on a free specialist cyber security course to boost their job prospects. The new three-day course, organised

by IBM’s Security Division and Veteran employment specialists SaluteMyJob, is designed to introduce transitioning and former Service men and women to the functions of a security operations centre (SOC), and the roles of the SOC analyst and manager. It will also certify them as users of IBM’s Resilient tool – the market-leading incident response platform for cyber response teams worldwide.

It follows on from the success of the free IBM i2 Notebook Analyst and QRadar training programme, a partnership between SaluteMyJob, IBM and the Corsham Institute, which has seen more than 140 Veterans gain an IBM Open Badge certification.

Course attendees will train in Resilient, a tool in which analysts use dynamic response plans to work on the activities needed to remediate an incident. The course is particularly suitable for Service leavers with an operations background who are looking to move into cyber security and are keen to work within a security operations centre.

SaluteMyJob’s Managing Director Brigadier (Retd) Andrew Jackson thinks ex-Forces personnel could be ideally suited to a career in cyber security: ‘Military Veterans have been trained to use “standard operational procedures” in response to operational incidents. They are also used to regularly adapting to different roles, new teams and different responsibilities. Therefore, they are ideally placed for training as security operations centre (SOC) analysts, whether or not they have previous IT experience.

‘Furthermore, many Veterans are familiar with working in fastpaced, high-intensity operations rooms. The experience they have gained, often in hostile environments under huge amounts of pressure, makes them highly employable in information security roles in the commercial world.’

The course runs from 19–21 June and the closing date for applications is 25 May. The course is free but attendees must pay for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Find out more at www. salutemyjob.com/ibm/resilient/ training/for/exmilitary

>> CHARITY CHALLENGE

Amputee war veteran takes on D-Day 44 challenge Former soldier Rob Copsey will be running 44 miles along the Normandy coastline for the relaunched D-Day 44 Challenge on 6 June, to raise money for military charity Blesma, The Limbless Veterans.

The challenge, which consists of a 44-mile run or 22-mile walk, was set up in 2009 by Army surgeon Lt Col Mike McErlain to commemorate the 1944 Allied invasion of occupied France on the anniversary of D-Day. However, in 2013, the event

was cancelled when Mike tragically collapsed and died while taking part.

Five years on, Mike’s widow, Jo, has restarted the event and three military charities – Blesma, Combat Stress and Blind Veterans – will benefit from the challenge.

Participants in the challenge are also asked to run in support of one of the three charities and, as a member of Blesma, Rob wanted to give back to them. ‘It’s a fitting challenge,’ he says, ‘as Blesma was set up in the aftermath of the First World War, so

cared for amputees from both the First and Second World Wars. They were there for me when I was injured, and I’ve benefited from their help and rehabilitation activities, so it’s my way to give back. If another amputee is inspired along the way and it motivates them then that’s an added bonus.’

If you would like to support Rob, please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/robcopsey1 For more about the work of Blesma, go to blesma.org

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

55

Q

THE HUB

Driving force!

>> GARDENING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Students and Veterans work together to create RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden

Phil Coleman served in the Army (Infantry) for nine years and joined LDC in March 2017 to train as a driving instructor.

‘After leaving the Army in 2009 I found myself working as an air-conditioning engineer for a couple of years before going on to the close protection scene in Iraq. After doing that for five years I wanted to return to working in the UK – I also, however, wanted to enjoy the freedom of being my own boss and working hours that fitted in nicely with family life.

‘Following plenty of research into becoming a driving instructor, I chose to train with LDC. This decision was helped due to the fact that I could take advantage of my Enhanced Learning Credits to help with the cost – however, that was not the sole reason.

The level of support, training and opportunities that I felt were on offer from LDC were also key factors in my decision.

‘I proved to have made the right choice. The support was there from first point of contact and continues to this day (I have now been qualified for nine months). The training was second to none. All the learning materials were provided from the start to enable you to learn at your own pace and the practical training was all done locally. The level of training was top-notch, giving me all the information and tools to not just qualify as an ADI but to have the confidence to get out there and teach learners a life skill, in some cases changing their lives in a big way.

With all the great support and training from LDC I was able to pass my Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 exams first time!

‘Now nine months into my new career, business is going great. My diary was full by week three. This was done with the help of LDC-generated learners, along with self-generated learners. The latter were gained with the advice and knowledge passed on by not only the LDC office staff, but also the larger LDC ADI community across the country, via a closed group on social media, constantly offering help, advice and tips. I am left to run my own business without being micromanaged, however all the advice and help is there on the other end of the phone, drop of an email or through regular training days if you wish to attend – not just for the teaching side of the job but for advice on running the business too.

‘So if this is your chosen path, then I wouldn’t hesitate to call LDC and get the ball rolling. In fact I recommended them recently to a good friend at the end of his 24 years’ service – something I wouldn’t do lightly.’

Get in touch 0800 197 0010 01977 691800 www.LDCForces.co.uk See the advertisement on page 15

56

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Help for Heroes and Sparsholt College are partnering to create a garden for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Their garden, The Force for Good, will tell the powerful story of the role horticulture plays in the recovery and ongoing support of injured British Armed Forces personnel and their families. Individual stories are told through the three elements of the garden as the team of college and former military gardeners inform visitors of the journey from injury or illness through to recovery and beyond. The Force for Good garden is a demonstration of how horticulture has given these individuals a second chance at life and how everyone can benefit from its therapeutic benefits.

Rachel Willis (pictured bottom right), an Army Veteran from Salisbury travelled all over the world during her 21year career until a back injury resulted in her medical discharge: ‘My injuries left me in constant pain and fatigue. It was another ten years until I was diagnosed with PTSD and fibromyalgia in 2017.’

Speaking of the project she says, ‘Getting involved in creating The Force for Good garden has made me realise there is more to me than just being ex-Army. It is opening lots of avenues in life I thought were closed or would never open. I’ve realised I can and actually want to learn – my brain was so frazzled before, I didn’t even want to think, let alone concentrate or take on board new information.’

The positioning and grouping of plants in the ‘Surviving’ section of the garden will show the disorientation, conflicting emotions and mental state of those being supported by Help

for Heroes before they enter any recovery programme. As they progress through their journey to ‘Stability’, the garden will portray a number of horticultural activities undertaken at the four Recovery Centres nationwide, with a focus on crop production and horticulture skills. The third and final section of the garden, ‘Support’, will show how planting and landscaping, including a still pool and seating, can create an area promoting recovery and ongoing support. The stage when an individual becomes an active member of their community again, and can make a positive impact in society once more. l To read in detail about the project, and to watch a video, visit www. helpforheroes.org.uk/see-thedifference/rhs-chelsea-flowershow-2018/ l For more information about Help for Heroes, visit www.helpforheroes.org. uk l For information about Sparsholt College’s horticulture-related courses, visit www.sparsholt. ac.uk/subject/horticulture-highereducation/?f=undergraduate

>> SIA SECURITY LICENSING MATTERS

>> SPORTS SUPPORT

Jon-Allan Butterworth, a Paralympian and military Veteran who lost his arm following a rocket attack in Iraq, has been announced as the latest driver to join Team BRIT, a team of disabled drivers that is looking to be the first ever all-disabled team to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours. It is revolutionising the motorsport industry through its use of adaptive technology, which allows its disabled drivers to compete equally with able-bodied drivers.

Jon-Allan, 32, is the country’s most successful military Paralympian and the first to ever win a gold medal. He joined the RAF in 2002, and served in Afghanistan in 2005 and Iraq in 2007 as a SAC(T) Weapons Technician. On 4 August 2007 he was involved in a rocket attack on Basra Air Station, Iraq. He was operated on by doctors in a battlefield hospital who carried out an above the elbow amputation of his left arm.

While recovering at the defence medical rehabilitation centre, Headley Court, in Surrey, Jon-Allan first made contact with British Cycling coaches at a Paralympics GB talent day in Loughborough. He joined the Para-

cycling Development Programme in 2009 via Help for Heroes’ partnership with British Cycling and the British Paralympic Association to introduce military personnel to Paralympic sport.

In his first international event – the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships – Butterworth set a world record and won a gold medal in the kilo, performances that were followed by three silver medals at the 2012 London Paralympics and further success at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in 2014 and 2016.

The majority of Team BRIT’s drivers are injured military Veterans. Jon-Allan will join the team as a rookie driver as it competes in the UK Fun Cup Championship this year. He says: ‘I’m really excited to be joining Team BRIT and racing in the Fun Cup series this summer – the first step on the journey to Le Mans. I look forward to the challenge and hope that I can emulate my cycling success!’

Read more about Team BRIT at www.teambrit.co.uk

The licensing process: telling you what our decision will be When you apply for a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence, we will decide on whether to grant you a licence or refuse your application. If we think that our decision will be to refuse your application we will write to you before we make that decision. This is so that you have the opportunity to appeal in a way that won’t incur court costs.

When we write to you, we will tell you: l what our decision is likely to be l the reason we are likely to refuse your application l what you can do that might lead us to decide that we can grant you a licence.

Please read the letter carefully. It will explain exactly what you can send to us that might mean we can grant you a licence.

The process doesn’t replace your right of appeal through the courts. It is an additional route of appeal that we offer. We write to you before making our decision because we don’t have the legal powers to change our decision once we have made it. We can only change our decision if: l we are instructed to do so by the courts as the result of a legal appeal, or l it was found to have been based on information that is factually incorrect.

To read more about security licensing and security industry matters in general, visit the SIA website at www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/home.aspx

© SWPix

© David Archer, Kingsize Photography

Britain’s most successful military Paralympian joins motorsport’s most inspirational team

>> JOB FAIRS CTP Employment Fair 6 June 2018, Bristol CTP Employment Fair 5 July 2018, Chelmsford These CTP employment fairs offer: l a fantastic networking opportunity, whether you’re ready to apply for live jobs or simply researching the market l the chance to meet employers who already recognise the skills and experience Service leavers can offer l presentations from key employers about their recruitment processes and vacancies l a wide range of companies, from small regional organisations to large multinationals, across a host of industry sectors l the opportunity to chat with Service support organisations, CTP staff and other Service leavers who are also going through the resettlement process.

They are open only to serving and ex-military personnel who have pre-registered to attend through the CTP. This is a great networking opportunity. Don’t miss out on the chance to meet employers with current and future job vacancies!

In addition, the full list of Employment Fair dates for 2018 are now available and ready to book (see right).

If you wish to book on to any of these dates, call the CTP Central Bookings Team on 0203 162 4410, email CTPEvents@ctp.org.uk or visit https://www.ctp.org.uk/events to find out more.

Event Date South West Employment Fair

6 June 2018

South East/East Employment Fair

5 July 2018

North East Employment Fair

27 September 2018

South Coast Employment Fair

11 October 2018

West Midlands Employment Fair

29 November 2018

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

57

Q Strong foundations FACTFILE YOUR RESETTLEMENT TRANSITION SUPPORT

at how things turned around so quickly and so drastically for me: once I had my own home, a place that I knew I could stay, things began to fall into place. I could walk out of my front door and not take everything with me. I had my own address.’

Martin now works as a freelance security driver with several celebrity clients and is hopeful about the future.

Stoll houses more than 250 vulnerable and disabled Veterans across its four sites in London, as well as 100-plus more every year across the UK through other housing providers. But we’re more than bricks and mortar – we also provide a wide range of support services and make

Stoll is the leading provider of supported housing for Veterans.

Most who leave the Armed Forces transition effectively back into civilian life, but not all. Stoll supports the most vulnerable Service leavers – like Martin – by providing them with an affordable home to rent and the support they need to lead independent lives.

a real difference to the lives of hundreds of ex-Service men and women. We know that a number of Veterans find themselves at risk of homelessness, experience rough sleeping or reside in inadequate accommodation. We’re here to help.

Please contact us to discuss your housing and support options, and to receive more information.

‘I’d always wanted to be a Marine. There was nothing else I wanted to do.’

even spent some time working back in Iraq.

Find out more

Martin relocated to London in 2007 and

Stoll has been providing support to

worked in the security industry. Sadly, due

the Veteran community for more than

Martin left school and, in 1987, began

to the time he spent working away from

100 years and is here to support the

training to become a Royal Marine – his

home, his long-term relationship ended.

next generation of Veterans. For more

lifelong dream. Over the next 13 years, he

‘I really lost everything. My relationship

information about finding a home with Stoll

went on to serve his country in Bosnia,

ended, I didn’t have any rights to where

or accessing support, please visit www.

Iraq and the Gulf, and took part in both

I lived any more … I went from thinking

stoll.org.uk or call the Outreach Team on

NATO and UN operations. ‘I had such pride

everything was OK to being homeless in

in being a Corporal in the Marines. Having

the blink of an eye.

that title was a real badge of honour for me.’

‘I spent some time renting and moving between B&Bs, friends’

Unfortunately, in 2000, Martin

sofas, my car … It was difficult

Q

020 7385 2110. Q

KEY CONTACT

sustained lower-limb injuries as a result of

having all my belongings in two

his Service and was medically discharged.

holdalls and not knowing where I’d be from

Stoll

‘The toll of such physical activity built

one week to the next. It made taking on

up and I got impact injuries in my ankles,

work hard. It was a precarious time.’

446 Fulham Road London SW6 1DT

shins and knees. When I moved into civvy

One evening, Martin was with some

street, I thought everyone would want to

fellow Veterans, one of whom was a

020 7385 2110 outreach@stoll.org.uk

employ a Marine. But I soon realised that

resident at Stoll. ‘My mate was bragging

www.stoll.org.uk

some people have a perception of Veterans

about his flat and how he overlooked

that isn’t true: as aggressive, beer-drinking

Chelsea Football Club. He said I should

characters.’

get in touch and see if there was anything

Martin forged a way forward and was based in the south-west. He worked building mobile telephone rigs, as a

58

scaffolder, started his own business and

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

available.’

After Martin contacted Stoll, he moved in to his own home in 2014. ‘I was surprised

Drop-in Stoll’s drop-in runs every second Wednesday of the month at its Fulham site (see above), in the Community Hall

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59

Q

YOUR RESETTLEMENT HOUSING SUPPORT

Housing help for the ex-Service community

Veterans’ Gateway has partnered with Shelter, the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity, to raise awareness of some of the key issues faced by the Armed Forces community and how they can access the right information and help with their housing concerns

on tour in Canada, Germany, Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Josh was

A

medically discharged in August 2017. After

service launched last year,

‘I have been helping serving and ex-serving

a potential flatmate let him down, Josh

Veterans’ Gateway provides a

personnel and their families with housing

ended up living in a caravan. He heard

first point of contact for Veterans

issues for a number of years now, and as

about Stoll at his Personal Recovery Unit

who need support, connecting them with

the spouse of an Army Veteran myself, I

and was recommended to apply to Stoll’s

the right organisation that can help them

understand how challenging these issues

Veterans’ Nomination Scheme (VNS).

with a range of issues, including housing,

can be.’

finance, mental health and employment.

Since Veterans’ Gateway began,

More than six housing partners can be

‘Within six weeks of first applying to the VNS, I had the keys to my flat. I wanted

accessed via Veterans’ Gateway, including

a property in London because the job

housing advice has been the second

Alabaré, Haig Housing and Stoll – the

prospects are better here, and I even have

most common subject that Veterans

leading provider of supported housing for

a garden for my rescue dog Mowgli. Stoll

and their families have been seeking

Veterans (see our feature on page 58).

sorted me out in six weeks when I was in

Army Veteran Josh spent six years

dire straits – I couldn’t recommend them

is a specialist housing advisor at the

serving with the Royal Engineers. He joined

enough. I’m looking ahead to the future

service, on hand to offer one-to-one

in 2011 at the age of 20, and spent time

and I’m excited to see what it holds.’

help and guidance about. Jackie Steven

support to Veterans and their families.

She encourages anyone who is confused, worried or threatened by housing problems to seek help early.

‘I know that housing issues can be really confusing and the amount of information available can be overwhelming,’ she says. ‘In my role, I can listen to individual circumstances and give advice on the best options available. In my experience, the earlier you seek help and advice, the easier it will be to address your housing needs.’

Working at the contact centre in Cardiff, Jackie is one of a team of advisors who can offer housing advice to those needing help and support. She continues,

60

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Jackie Steven is one of a team of advisors offering housing advice to Veterans needing help and support

‘Stoll sorted me out in six weeks,’ says Josh. ‘I even have a garden for my rescue dog Mowgli’

Veterans’ Gateway is available whether

When he received the news that

THE EARLIER YOU SEEK HELP AND ADVICE, THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO ADDRESS YOUR HOUSING NEEDS

there is a simple question you need

Alabaré would be able to provide him

answering or you have a case that may

with accommodation, John cried tears of

need specialist care. Contact the service

delight. He now has somewhere warm and

and our experts will do the rest. Working

safe to live and can begin to get back on

with Shelter as our expert housing advice

his feet. He has since undertaken courses

partner, our #HelpWithHousing campaign

to improve his IT skills and would also like

eventually became so bad that he was

includes a range of handy top tips, useful

to do a course related to photography. His

forced to go on sick leave from his job

videos, new housing law updates that will

long-term ambitions are to get back in to

at a local college. Being entitled to only

benefit Veterans, FAQs, and factual advice

full-time work. However, in the meantime,

statutory sick pay and having no savings,

and information.

he is keeping busy with a number of

Michael was left with no other option but to

courses aimed at making him more

seek immediate help with housing.

You can speak to one of our team by phone or via email. Our number is free

employable.

to call in the UK; from overseas you will

After becoming aware of the work of Alabaré through a Veterans’ outreach

be charged at a local call rate or you can

Michael

service, Michael submitted an application

select the Live Chat option to avoid any

Michael served in the Army for five years.

for accommodation and came to live at one

costs. Additionally, you can send direct

In addition to financial problems, his

of Alabaré’s dedicated Homes for Veterans.

messages on Twitter or Facebook.

relationship deteriorated to such an extent

Our team is available 24 hours a day,

In his time living with Alabaré, Michael

that it became an untenable situation,

has been able to access the help and

seven days a week, including all bank

with Michael also suffering from domestic

support he needs in order to address his

holidays, to put you in touch with the right

abuse.

financial issues. He is currently receiving

help you need quickly, or direct you to the information you are looking for.

It soon became evident that he

advice on his finances and is also waiting

would have to leave the family home but,

to see if he can return to work. He is

on doing so, Michael found the lack of

motivated to turn things around and is

affordable accommodation a real problem.

taking positive steps towards achieving his

John

With joint debts in his name and also

aims.

After serving in the Royal Electrical and

attempting to maintain joint mortgage

Mechanical Engineers, John moved to

payments, Michael’s financial situation

KEY CONTACT

America, where he was an investor in a

made it very difficult for him to find

To contact Veterans’ Gateway …

successful company. He always invested

accommodation.

Call: 0808 802 1212

Case studies

his annual bonus back in to the business.

However, there was a tragic turn of events,

To compound the issue, his debilitating back problem was getting worse and

Visit: www.veteransgateway.org.uk Text: 81212 Q

as the CEO of the company, and John’s good friend, died.

Following the death of the CEO, the board of directors assumed control of the business and things took a dramatic turn

HOUSING PARTNERS AVAILABLE VIA VETERANS’ GATEWAY l

for the worse. The financial situation quickly deteriorated until the debts began to mount and the company was ultimately forced to

l

fold.

John soon found himself unable to pay his rent. As the effects began to cause strains on the relationship between John and his wife, it led them to separate, with

l

l

John deciding to move back to the UK. As John received only a modest income

l

from his salary, he found it difficult to secure any affordable housing and found

l

himself living in a caravan. This was never likely to be a long-term solution given that

l

it was cold, damp and infested with rats.

John’s outlook seemed bleak, but it was just as he was reaching his lowest ebb that an outreach worker referred him to Alabaré.

l

Stoll is the leading provider of supported housing for Veterans. Its work enables vulnerable and disabled Veterans in need of support to live fulfilling, independent lives: www.stoll.org.uk Alabaré is a charity that supports vulnerable, homeless and marginalised people. It helps them transform their lives, providing accommodation, and helping them gain the skills, confidence and opportunities to live a fulfilled life: www.alabare.co.uk Haig Housing Trust is the UK’s largest charity providing housing to Veterans in need: www.haighousing.org.uk Seafarers’ Advice and Information Line (SAIL) provides free and confidential advice to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Veterans, their families and carers: http://sailine.org.uk The Royal British Legion provides life-long support to members and Veterans of the British Armed Forces and their families: www.britishlegion.org.uk The Scottish Veterans’ Garden City Association (SVGCA) houses disabled Veterans in Scotland: www.svgca.org.uk Scottish Veterans Residences is a charity established in 1910 to provide accommodation and help for homeless Veterans: www.svronline.org Erskine helps honour those who didn’t come home by helping to care for those who did. Proud to have served the ex-Service community since 1916, the charity has now cared for more than 85,000 veterans: www.erskine.org.uk

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

61

Q

YOUR RESETTLEMENT SELF-EMPLOYMENT

STEVE BULLEYMENT

Ready for your next road trip?

W

hen you’re setting off

have any money left? Or are

on a trip in a car there

you like many of us, left with too

are some basics you

much month for the money? Be

need. Good music and bags of

honest with yourself. Come up

sweets to entertain you along

with a number, a monthly wage

the way. A map of the route

that you need to pay yourself to

and, of course, your destination.

survive and live. Great. Then add

Lastly, and most important, you

on the emergency money and

need to know you have enough

funds for the holiday you think

fuel.

you can do without (you need it,

If you’re nipping out locally, most of these aren’t necessary.

Let’s face it, you probably know the address and the route and if you’re low on fuel you’ll know where the petrol stations are.

More than that, if disaster did strike and you ran out, you’re close to home and can sort the problem out easily.

If you’re thinking about starting a business, you have a

honest), the rent rise or interest

‘I love to travel,’ says regular QUEST contributor, Steve Bulleyment, director of Lincolnshire-based specialist auto locksmith company Car Key Man, ‘They say you can be addicted to it. If so, that’s me and it’s why I loved flying so much in the RAF. Visiting so many amazing places with a great crew was so rewarding. And travel is very much like starting a business …’

fantastic opportunity. You could

Bank of England, and finally the dentist, car repairs, vet bills, etc.

Now you’re closer to the real amount.

Let’s say for easy numbers, you need £30,000. Let’s hope, you need less, not more.

This should be your staring point for everything in your resettlement. The job you try to get, the business you try to

spend your days doing what you

trip. One day I’ll go to America

budgets, calculating

love instead of being told what

with my wife Caron, and we’ll

living costs and

to do (let’s face it, you’ve had

drive from Connecticut to

working out how

plenty of that already). If this is

Maine to see New England in

much you can

your plan you’ll be reading lots

the autumn. It’s something

you live on. I

about business plans, marketing

we’ve talked about for years.

totally agree

yourself on social media, and

Obviously, this will take a lot of

with all this but,

networking. These things matter,

planning, but it will work as long

to be honest,

but to me they are the sweets

as we have money to fill up the

you already know

and the radio and the phone.

petrol tank every day. This is the

how much you need.

They’re things to entertain you

life of the small business owner.

What do you bring into the

and distract you.

To me, it’s the deciding factor as

house at the moment? Do you

the near future, then it’s unlikely

to whether you should start up

have a partner that earns money

you’ll step into, or stay in, that

or not. Can you afford it?

or could do? Are you leaving

perfect £30K job immediately.

with a pension? What’s your

If you manage to, amazing,

total monthly income?

respect, you’ve done it right! Put

Do you have enough fuel? long now it may get repetitive.

How much cash do I need?

However, if this is your first

I’m no expert at business, but

day, or week, as a would-be

I have specialised in being

business owner, then I hope

completely skint and beyond, so

you’ll read this and think about

this small area I know very well.

it hard before spending money

I’m passionate about stopping

on courses, business cards or

just one other person making the

websites.

same mistake. So, let’s start at

I’ve banged on about this for so

My perfect road trip I love the idea of a proper road

62

rate rise soon to come from the

the beginning …

When you start resettlement, you’ll hear about survival

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

build, or maybe your

Visit the Car Key Man YouTube Channel at: www.youtube.com/c/ TheCarKeyMan

Do you, month on month,

retirement plan (if you’ve been really clever) is all based on this number.

So, if you’re living on £30K at the moment, and this is

where you need to be in

this down and go and play golf.

KEY SKILLS Steve’s business, the Car Key Man, is a specialist auto locksmith company covering Lincolnshire. Launching in 2004, Steve spotted an opportunity to solve the problem of replacing lost and stolen car keys. The company now offers workshop facilities as well as a mobile service. Recognising the needs of concerned vehicle owners, it offers free consultations to find an affordable solution to the growing number of car key problems.

For the rest of us, there will

How long can you afford to

be some distance between where

rack up debt? This is the answer

we are and where we want to be.

to how much cash you need to

We’ll call this ‘the dip’.

start a business, or even just

What is the dip?

Cash = Fuel = Survival time in business My finances after leaving

leave the Forces at all.

help subscribers all around the

important than a road trip, but I

world and, by the time this goes

I remember my last pay packet

year, the graph is either red or

got it all wrong. I underestimated

to print, we’ll have passed two

when I left the RAF, around

black. Red is bad. Every month

what I needed for equipment

million views. It’s going to lead

£2,200 in the bank. The

you’re in the red, you’re going

to start up. My guess was £15K.

somewhere new and exciting I’m

following month I could only

backwards.

I spent nearer £25K. More

sure.

afford to pay myself £500 (my

You can see every month, or

In my YouTube life, I regularly

the Forces were much more

importantly, once I’d started up

This is something I could

Then the next month only £200.

The road trip from hell

Some months it might be £1500.

Back to our road trip. If we need

ever have imagined. My fag

But, please, before you start

However, my wages dipped

£500 for the fuel to drive to

packet guess was so far off I’m

your own business, before you

below where they needed to be,

Maine, New England, and I only

embarrassed to admit it.

spend a single penny, sit down

and the difference between my

allow for £300, I’m going to get

target wage and what I could

stuck. I’ll be halfway through the

of £2200, for nearly ten years.

to get through the dip. I made it

afford should have set the alarm

trip and will fairly soon realise

However, I paid us that money

simply because I had to. I was so

bells ringing immediately. The

that upgrading the compact

and borrowed to make up the

far in debt that I had no choice. I

trouble is, I was heads down,

automatic to the Ford Mustang

difference. I didn’t deliberately

burnt nearly £10,000 a year, for

trying to make it work, learning

means I’ll need more money

plan to borrow more, but I did

ten years … £100,000 cash gone.

so much and distracted by all

for fuel. Instead of looking at

whatever I had to, just to keep us

I couldn’t afford to. I shouldn’t

those other things we take on

the golden leaves, the beautiful

moving. The credit card bills got

have. We sold our house and

our journey. I didn’t pay myself

buildings and miles of forest,

bigger, and there were more of

downsized. It was very tough and

£2200 a month for the first

I’ll be watching the fuel gauge,

them. The overdraft got bigger

I put my wife through so much

five years – in fact, closer to ten

counting the fuel money and

and any equipment I bought

worry.

years. To understand this better,

worrying about whether we’ll

went on HP. More debt.

the diagram at the bottom of the

have enough to make it. That’s

page shows how I think of it.

no way to enjoy a trip. In fact,

enjoy the view. If I’d sat down

Can you make it through the dip?

As soon as you leave the

I’ll be lying awake every night,

and done this exercise, I wouldn’t

Good luck with whatever you

Forces, you’ll probably see

wondering if we’re going to make

have set off at all.

decide to do. Self-employment is

a drop in your wages. This is

it at all. Getting stuck in the

normal. If you’re starting a

middle of New England without

business, it should be expected.

any money to fill the tank will

Now, if you get a job, there may

leave us in big trouble.

business didn’t even make that!).

be opportunity for overtime. Or

On top of this, do you know

and left the Forces, I was burning

never have foreseen and I really

much more fuel than I could

do bounce out of bed every day.

I didn’t earn my target wage

It wasn’t a fun trip. I didn’t

So, should you set off on the road trip of your life, starting a business?

and work out how you’re going

amazing if you have enough fuel in your tank. Enjoy the next 18 months of resettlement. It will go so fast and, whatever you decide to do, it will be quite a trip.

maybe your partner can earn

if there is another fuel stop

There’s good reason to. For me,

more. Whatever your situation,

nearby? Will the garage take

14 years on, every day is new.

as soon as you go below your

credit cards or can you get your

I’m doing what I love, building

target wage – in this case

hands on any more cash? This is

a fantastic business, meeting

£30,000 – you start to rack up

what starting up feels like. Can

kind, supportive customers and

Lincolncarkeyman@gmail.com

debt. This is bad.

you get yourself any more cash?

so many interesting characters.

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

63

Q Courses and events YOUR RESETTLEMENT COURSES AND EVENTS FACTFILE

This guide includes the courses currently scheduled to run from June 2018 to August 2018 Additional courses may be scheduled by each Resettlement Centre according to demand. A list of all scheduled courses is available from your nearest Resettlement Centre. All the dates given should be confirmed with the relevant Resettlement Centres. 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

RC Aldergrove

RRC Catterick rrccatterick@ctp.org.uk

rrccottesmore@ctp.org.uk

resettlementinfo@ctp.org.uk

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

CTW Mixed Class

CTW Junior Ranks

CTW Mixed Class

CTW Senior Officer

18 June 2018 09 July 2018 14 August 2018

04 June 2018 06 June 2018 18 June 2018 20 June 2018 02 July 2018 04 July 2018 16 July 2018 18 July 2018 30 July 2018 01 August 2018 06 August 2018 08 August 2018 13 August 2018 15 August 2018

CTW Mixed Class 23 July 2018 26 July 2018 (Course location Preston)

CTW Officer/SNCO 11 June 2018 13 June 2018 09 July 2018 11 July 2018 13 August 2018 15 August 2018

04 June 2018 06 June 2018 11 June 2018 13 June 2018 25 June 2018 27 June 2018 03 July 2018 05 July 2018 09 July 2018 11 July 2018 16 July 2018 18 July 2018 23 July 2018 25 July 2018 30 July 2018 01 August 2018 06 August 2018 08 August 2018 13 August 2018 15 August 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp

Employment Support Programme Wksp

rcaldergrove@ctp.org.uk

20 June 2018 11 July 2018 16 August 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp 26 June 2018 26 July 2018 21 August 2018

26 June 2018 26 July 2018 21 August 2018

FAR All Ranks 28 June 2018

28 June 2018

RRC Aldershot rrcaldershot@ctp.org.uk

START DATE END DATE CTW Junior Ranks 05 June 2018 07 June 2018 26 June 2018 28 June 2018 10 July 2018 12 July 2018 07 August 2018 09 August 2018

CTW Mixed Class

17 July 2018

FAR All Ranks 05 June 2018

05 June 2018

Self Employment Awareness

18 June 2018 20 June 2018 (Course location Brize Norton) 02 July 2018 04 July 2018 (Course location Brize Norton) 23 July 2018 25 July 2018 (Course location Brize Norton) 13 August 2018 15 August 2018 (Course location Brize Norton)

13 June 2018 01 August 2018

CTW Officer

CTW Mixed Class

03 July 2018

05 July 2018

CTW Officer/SNCO 17 July 2018

19 July 2018

CTW SNCO 12 June 2018 19 June 2018 14 August 2018

14 June 2018 21 June 2018 16 August 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp 19 June 2018 10 July 2018 13 August 2018

19 June 2018 10 July 2018 13 August 2018

Self Employment Awareness 19 June 2018 19 June 2018

New Horizons in Retirement 18 June 2018

Self Employment Awareness 08 June 2018 28 August 2018

29 June 2018 27 July 2018

08 June 2018 28 August 2018

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

23 July 2018

23 July 2018

RC Northolt

rcnortholt@ctp.org.uk

CTW Mixed Class

18 June 2018 18 June 2018

FAR All Ranks 07 June 2018 07 June 2018 (Course location External Venue) 01 August 2018 01 August 2018 (Course location Cosford)

Self Employment Awareness

RC Germany

28 June 2018 26 July 2018

Interview Techniques (Snr Officer)

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

Employment Support Programme Wksp

14 June 2018 12 July 2018 23 August 2018

05 June 2018 07 June 2018 18 June 2018 20 June 2018 02 July 2018 04 July 2018 31 July 2018 02 August 2018

rrcnortholt@ctp.org.uk

04 June 2018 06 June 2018 18 June 2018 20 June 2018 09 July 2018 11 July 2018 16 July 2018 18 July 2018

12 June 2018 10 July 2018 21 August 2018

CTW Officer/SNCO

19 June 2018 09 July 2018 31 August 2018

14 June 2018 14 June 2018 (The Bell, St Omer Barracks)

18 June 2018

13 June 2018 01 August 2018

RRC Colchester

FAR All Ranks

64

17 July 2018

RRC Cottesmore Central London

19 June 2018 09 July 2018 31 August 2018

rcgermany@ctp.org.uk START DATE END DATE CTW Junior Ranks 12 June 2018 14 June 2018 03 July 2018 05 July 2018

CTW Officer/SNCO 05 June 2018 07 June 2018 10 July 2018 12 July 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp 18 June 2018 16 July 2018

18 June 2018 16 July 2018

German CV Writing 19 June 2018

19 June 2018

04 June 2018 25 June 2018 09 July 2018 23 July 2018 30 July 2018

06 June 2018 27 June 2018 11 July 2018 25 July 2018 01 August 2018

18 June 2018 16 July 2018 06 August 2018

20 June 2018 18 July 2018 08 August 2018

CTW Officer

Employment Support Programme Wksp 21 June 2018 02 August 2018

21 June 2018 02 August 2018

Self Employment Awareness 12 July 2018

12 July 2018

RC Plymouth

rcplymouth@ctp.org.uk START DATE END DATE CTW Junior Ranks 11 June 2018 09 July 2018

13 June 2018 11 July 2018

CTW Mixed Class 25 June 2018 27 June 2018 02 July 2018 04 July 2018 23 July 2018 25 July 2018 24 July 2018 26 July 2018 (Course location Culdrose) 13 August 2018 15 August 2018

CTW Officer/SNCO 18 June 2018 16 July 2018 06 August 2018

20 June 2018 18 July 2018 08 August 2018

14 June 2018 05 July 2018

14 June 2018 05 July 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp

FAR All Ranks 05 July 2018

05 July 2018

11 July 2018

11 July 2018

Self Employment Awareness

NEBOSH HEAL www.courses4forces.co.uk

Claimants must consult with their education staff to check eligibili

WE CAN HELP YOUR CA RECOGNISED HEALTH A

RC Portsmouth

RRC Rosyth

RRC Tidworth

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

START DATE END DATE

CTW Junior Ranks

CTW Mixed Class

CTW Junior Ranks

rcportsmouth@ctp.org.uk

04 June 2018 02 July 2018

06 June 2018 04 July 2018

CTW Mixed Class 25 June 2018 27 June 2018 23 July 2018 25 July 2018 28 August 2018 30 August 2018

CTW Officer 18 June 2018 16 July 2018 21 August 2018

20 June 2018 18 July 2018 23 August 2018

CTW SNCO 11 June 2018 09 July 2018

13 June 2018 11 July 2018

14 June 2018 28 June 2018 12 July 2018

14 June 2018 28 June 2018 12 July 2018

FAR All Ranks 10 July 2018

Self Employment Awareness 05 July 2018

05 June 2018 07 June 2018 (Course location Faslane) 11 June 2018 13 June 2018 (Course location Kinloss) 18 June 2018 20 June 2018 09 July 2018 11 July 2018 (Course location Lossiemouth) 10 July 2018 12 July 2018 (Course location Faslane) 16 July 2018 18 July 2018 13 August 2018 15 August 2018 20 August 2018 23 August 2018 (Course location Kinloss) 28 August 2018 30 August 2018 (Course location Faslane)

CTW Officer/SNCO 02 July 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp

10 July 2018

rrcrosyth@ctp.org.uk

05 July 2018

04 July 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp 14 June 2018 20 June 2018 19 July 2018 26 July 2018 16 August 2018

14 June 2018 20 June 2018 19 July 2018 26 July 2018 16 August 2018

NEBOSH HEALT

rrctidworth@ctp.org.uk

11 June 2018 14 June 2018 18 June 2018 20 June 2018 25 June 2018 27 June 2018 02 July 2018 04 July 2018 09 July 2018 11 July 2018 16 July 2018 18 July 2018 06 August 2018 08 August 2018 20 August 2018 22 August 2018 28 August 2018 30 August 2018

CTW Mixed Class

05 June 2018 07 June 2018 23 July 2018 25 July 2018 24 July 2018 26 July 2018 13 August 2018 15 August 2018

APPROVED BY MoD IN SUPPORT OF CTW Officer THE ELC SCHEME 19 June 2018 21 June 2018 03 July 2018 05 July 2018 PROVIDER NUMBER 17 July 2018 19 July 2018

E LC 6781

CTW Officer/SNCO 31 July 2018 29 August 2018

02 August 2018 31 August 2018

21 June 2018 21 June 2018 (Course location Lossiemouth)

Self Employment Awareness

14 June 2018 02 August 2018

Course 14 June 2018 14 JuneOne 2018 21 June 2018 21 June 2018 NEBOSH National 28 June 2018 28 June 2018 12 July 2018 12 July 2018 General Certificate 26 July 2018 26 July 2018 Occupational 09 August 2018 09 August 2018 and2018 Safety 30 August 2018 Health 30 August

in

WE CAN HELP YOUR CAR RECOGNISED HEALTH AN FAR All Ranks 19 July 2018 19 JulyFour 2018 Course (Course location External Venue)

NEBOSH Course OneInternational

New HorizonsTechnical in Retirement Certifcate

National 25 June 2018 NEBOSH 25 June 2018 in Oil and Gas

General Certifi cate

in Self Employment Awareness Operational Safety Occupational 26 June 2018 26 June 2018 30 July 2018 Health 30 July and2018 Safety 30 August 2018 30 August 2018

Co

NE Ce Co an

CALL US TODAY AN Co A BROCHURE OR V NEBOSH International NE Course Four

Technical Certifcate Ipswich: 01473 212535in| in E: Oilinfo@ccas-ltd.com and Gas | Ma w Operational Safety

CALL US TODAY AND A BROCHURE OR VIS

CTW SNCO

FAR All Ranks

14 June 2018 02 August 2018

Employment Support Programme Wksp

12 June 2018 14 June 2018 APPROVED BY MoD 26 June 2018 28 June 2018 OF IN SUPPORT THE ELC SCHEME 10 July 2018 12 July 2018 21 August 2018 23 August 2018 PROVIDER NUMBER

E LC

Ipswich: 01473 212535 | Lo E: info@ccas-ltd.com | www

6781

Visit www.ctp.org.uk for further details

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Flexible study routes - work-based, taught, mixed-mode programme or Supported Distance Learning.

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If you already have aviation experience then a shortened course may be available.

Photography | Video | Survey | Crop Analysis | Topographical Surveys | Inspections

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questonline.co.uk l May 2018

65

Q

YOUR RESETTLEMENT TRANSITION FACTFILE FACTFILE

Transition factfile:

Preparation for leaving the Forces Advice from the CTP, official provider of career guidance, skills training and job-finding assistance to Service leavers CTP provision is delivered from ten Resettlement Centres 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. CTP RightJob is the CTP’s online job-finding service, listing thousands of live vacancies for Service Leavers from local, national and international employers.

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

A Service leaver’s route map Service leaver completed under 4 years’ Service: CTP Future Horizons – registration upon discharge

Employment Support Programme

>> Prepares PRP with Consultant >> Receives regional employment advice

No Service Leaver completed at least 4 years’ Service: registers with Career Transition Partnership (CTP)

Served more than 6 years – or medical discharge?

Yes

Attends Career Transition Workshop (CTW) or equivalent

Prepare Personal Resettlement Plan (PRP) with Career Consultant

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

Receives advice on or notification of matched job opportunities

Makes job applications

Secures employment

Career Consultant led Wounded, Injured and Sick Service personnel: CTP Assist – registration upon discharge

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

Develops, reviews and actions PRP: • further advice on: • career options • self-employment • job finding

• training • attachments • research activities • civilian work attachments Consultant supports and monitors progress

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

Resettlement Services

Resettlement Centres

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).

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

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: >> 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

66

May 2018 l questonline.co.uk

Resettlement Centre Aldergrove Tel: 02894 421639 Regional Resettlement Centre Aldershot Tel: 01252 348336/339 Regional Resettlement Centre Catterick Tel: 01748 872949/2922 Regional Resettlement Centre Cottesmore Tel: 01572 812241 (ext 7716) Resettlement Centre Germany Tel: 0049 5254 982 x 5448 Resettlement Centre Northolt Tel: 020 8842 6063/6064 Resettlement Centre Plymouth Tel: 01752 555834 Resettlement Centre Portsmouth

Tel: 02392 724130 Regional Resettlement Centre Rosyth Tel: 01383 858230 Regional Resettlement Centre Tidworth Tel: 01980 650689

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

Courses 4 Forces Spring final 2015_C4F 16/03/2015 11:25 Page 52

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GRT is the length of time that a Service Leaver is eligible to spend on resettlement activities, including workshops, training Gastec Training has for many years worked courses, civilian work attachments or individual resettlement closely with Britain’s armed forces as 4VF ,JOH .#&

they prepare for civilian life. At Gastec we provision. recognise the commitment you have made

Transition services and entitlements

while serving and welcome the opportunity to ensure you have a prosperous future as

you leave the armed forces. The Gastec New COURSE CARRIES LEVEL 3 ACCREDITATION Entitlement Entrant Gas Course will prepare you for an EFS GPS )BWJOH DIPTFO (BTUFD BT UIF QSPWJEFS GPS

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IF MFWFMT PG &-$"4 FWBMVBUJPO SBUJOH JT TFDPOE UP

JOTUSVDUJPO BU (BTUFD XBT FYDFMMFOU * BN OPX B WFSZ

OPX B WFSZ OPOF 1MFBTF UBLF UJNF UP WJFX UIF

resettlement time. All Medically Discharged ServiceTVDDFTTGVM TFMG FNQMPZFE HBT TBGF FOHJOFFS BOE SFNBJO Leavers

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includes grants, allowances, travel warrants, resettlement leave, consultancy, transition workshops and subsidised training.

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CTP GRT(1) IRTC CTP GRT(1) IRTC Gastec Training & Assessment Centres Ltd. 6 Newmarket Court, Kingston, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK10 0AQ No 0 No FRP 10 Yes enquiries@gastectraining.co.uk www.gastectraining.co.uk No 0 No FRP 30 Yes ESP 0 No FRP 30 Yes FRP 20 Yes FRP 30 Yes FRP 25 Yes FRP 30 Yes FRP 30 Yes FRP 30 Yes FRP 35 Yes FRP 35 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

Duty Allowances for Resettlement Activities 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 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;actualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 Leaversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; entitlement will depend upon the nature of their discharge and the length of their Service. When selecting a training provider to deliver resettlement services, Service Leavers should be aware that the MOD operates a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Local Training Firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 in-house 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.

â&#x20AC;¢ Vulnerability Assessment â&#x20AC;¢ Resettlement Brief â&#x20AC;¢ Resettlement Interview â&#x20AC;¢ Gateway to 3rd Sector: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Housing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Finance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Social Benefits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Employment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pensions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Health

Employment Support Programme >4<6 Yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Service

â&#x20AC;¢ Job-Finding Service â&#x20AC;¢ â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;RightJobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Access â&#x20AC;¢ Consultant Interview â&#x20AC;¢ Housing Brief â&#x20AC;¢ Financial Aspects of Resettlement Brief â&#x20AC;¢ Access (on a standby basis) to 50 Various Resettlement Training Centre Courses â&#x20AC;¢ Post Discharge Consultant Support (up to 2 years) â&#x20AC;¢ Employment Fairs and Events

Full Resettlement Programme >6 Yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Service

â&#x20AC;¢ IRTC Grant (£534) â&#x20AC;¢ Resettlement Leave (up to 35 days) â&#x20AC;¢ Career Transition Workshop (3 days) â&#x20AC;¢ Other Workshops â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Self-Employment Awareness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Small Business Start-Up â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CV Writing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Interview Skills â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Networking â&#x20AC;¢ Career Consultancy â&#x20AC;¢ Travel Warrants (up to 7) â&#x20AC;¢ â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;RightJobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Access â&#x20AC;¢ Financial Aspects of Resettlement Brief â&#x20AC;¢ Housing Brief â&#x20AC;¢ Access to 50 Various Resettlement Training Centre Courses â&#x20AC;¢ Post Discharge Consultant Support (up to 2 years) â&#x20AC;¢ Employment Fairs and Events

Standard Learning Credits Enhanced Learning Credits Access to first FE/HE qualification Resettlement Grant Officers with 9 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; service up to £15,505 Other Ranks with 12 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; service who are AFPS 75 up to £10,596 Officers and Other Ranks who are AFPS 05 up to £10,883 Officers and Other Ranks who are AFPS 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no rate currently available

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

Please always contact the Forces Pension Society for the most up-to-date information Tel: 020 7820 9988 Web: www.forcespensionsociety.org

questonline.co.uk l May 2018

67

Q

YOUR RESETTLEMENT TRANSITION FACTFILE FACTFILE

Resettlement Training

Service Leaver Support Teams (SLSTs)

Training provided by the CTP

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.

Skills training takes place at the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) in Aldershot and at a selection of Resettlement Centres. 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

Training provided by Preferred Suppliers The­­­Preferred 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 Resettlement Centres.

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

Overseas Resettlement Training 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.

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.

CTP RightJob CTP RightJob is the CTP’s online job-finding service, listing thousands of live vacancies for Service leavers from local, national and international employers. The CTP works with hundreds of organisations that recognise the benefits of recruiting from the ex-military talent pool, and value the experience and strong working ethos Service leavers bring with them. The site is accessed via the CTP website and the login required is issued during CTWs. Call the Central Employment Team for more information, on 0121 236 0058.

Useful CTP Contacts TO BOOK A CTP WORKSHOP OR BRIEFING…

Call 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 Resettlement Centre running the workshop which is normally the Resettlement Centre that you are registered with for your resettlement. Contact details can be found in the list of Resettlement Centres provided earlier in Factfile.

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

FOR RIGHTJOB ASSISTANCE…

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

CTP Employment Events

CTP Future Horizons

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 >> Live Online Chat Events – enable Service leavers to chat one-to-one with employers during dedicated time slots, about their company, current vacancies and any training needs >> 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

CTP Future Horizons 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.

CTP Future Horizons 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 CTP Future Horizons, please call Richard Jones, Programme Manager, on 07428 705 770 or meet with a CTP Future Horizons assessor at the following locations: >> ITC Catterick, Hook Company: 01748 872949/2922 >> ATC Pirbright, Sword Company: 01483 798614 >> Resettlement Centre Plymouth: 01752 557635 Follow Future Horizons on Facebook, and receive the latest news and updates from the programme.

RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity We exist to provide life-long, life-changing support, jobs and training opportunities to Service leavers and Veterans, irrespective of circumstances, rank, length of service or reason for leaving.

Founded in 1885 and operating across the UK, we have the specialist knowledge and understanding to bridge the gap between military life and civilian employment.

We work in partnership with other organisations and employers who, like us, respect and value the unique qualities and abilities of all those who have served.

We are the leading provider of job opportunities and employment advice for ex-Forces men and women. We have thousands of job opportunities with employers who value military experience. We advise you on careers suited to you and we know which employers are recruiting in your area. We work with you so that you have a good CV, and support you through the application and interview process.

To register with us …

Tel: 0121 2360 058 Website: www.rfea.org.uk

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CTP Assist CTP Assist aims to help wounded, injured and sick Service personnel who have the greatest need to find a new, fulfilling career that meets their individual needs, and to assist them in moving on with their lives. The support given will help to pinpoint a rewarding and realistic change of career. Service leavers who are likely to be medically discharged and are ready to engage in resettlement will be referred to the programme by their Chain of Command. To find out more about how CTP Assist can support you, visit www.ctpassist.ctp.org.uk

Courses 4 Forces Spring final 2015_C4F 16/03/2015 11:25 Page 52

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March 2015 / www.questonline.co.uk

13

We provide a lifetime of support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families.

Each year, we support a wide range of front line charities and specialist organisations, such as SSAFA, Combat Stress, Royal Star & Garter and the NSPCC, which deliver help on our behalf.

We also make direct grants to thousands of individuals, ranging in age from 9 months to 105 years old. Through our network of support, our work touches the lives of around 75,000 people worldwide, every year.

It is because of the generosity of people like you that we are able to do this vital work – today and in the future.

Donate online or get involved in fundraising at

www.soldierscharity.org

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales (1146420) and Scotland (039189) Registered Office: Mountbarrow House, 12 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9RB Tel: 020 7901 8900, Email: fundraising@soldierscharity.org

Left to right: Siobhan Weller, Les Fryatt, Kenneth Kwogyenga – Charity beneficiaries

Looking for a new career?

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Step into Health is open to all service leavers, veterans, spouses/partners and dependants.

It is an incredible opportunity for you to explore the extensive career options available.

Whether you are interested in catering, maintenance, administration, finance, communications, management, or a role in one of the clinical services, this programme will benefit you.

The NHS is keen to invite you to explore your transferable skills and the potential training and career opportunities available.

www.militarystepintohealth.nhs.uk

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