Posted By martin maddra Hello all After 22 years in the RAF, I am finally being put out to grass. I have been an aircraft engineer, and a supervisor/manager for 18 years with H&S responsibilities throughout. I did my IOSH Managing Safely and Manual Handling courses and spent my last two years managing the AWACS induction and training department, delivering H&S and Human Factors courses. I recently sat my NEBOSH Certificate and got myself accredited as a CIEH trainer for their Foundation H&S in the workplace, COSHH, Manual Handling, Stress Awareness and Professional Trainer courses. Although it is the training I see myself doing, me and my projector/laptop roaming the land, wind in my hair (I’m growing it now), other CIEH trainers are telling me that it is not easy to build up a client base, and a good idea to have other options available to fill the gaps. So, what to do? What freelance H&S based outlets are there? What do companies tend to outsource? I am looking at taking suitable IOSH courses, but which ones? I am thinking maybe the Risk Assessment course for starters. What about the DSE course? Do companies get people in to assess and advise on their DSE? How big is stress training/advising likely to get? Any advice would be appreciated, as I’m at the “um, er, dunno” point now. Many thanks Martin

Posted By martin maddra Jonathan Unfortunately I'm not going to have the chance to do the diploma as I'm out in April. I am planning to do it off my own back though, as the Diploma seems to broaden work prospects. A knowledge of environmental health seems to be the way forward too. I'm really looking at more immediate solutions for now to pad out my training to give it a chance, so I don't have to can the whole idea from lack of incoming funds and get a 'proper job'! Any ideas? What were your thoughts regarding the diploma, by the way? (I will be settling in the North Lincolnshire/South Yorkshire region). Regards Martin

Posted By Jonathan Sandler CMIOSH LC-C Give the fly boy a job, how else will he get his NVQ? Regards Jonathan

Posted By martin maddra Hi Linda Once I've handed in my blue suit, home will be around North Lincolnshire/South Yorkshire. If you are in charge of H&S at the new airport at Doncaster, I will be a very happy man! Martin

Posted By Jonathan Sandler CMIOSH MM, As LC-C knows I a just a humble Sgt, LC-C will nodoubt have words with me, but I will tell you this, you will learn a lot from LC-C. Regards p.s I charge a lot.

Posted By martin maddra By the way Jonathan, just for inspiration, what are you doing now? Or are you still waiting to unleash yourslf on the H&S world?

Posted By martin maddra Linda When I realised that I did didn’t know what LOR meant, I decided to tap ‘text abbreviations’ into Google (a first for me) in case it wasn’t a H&S related abbreviation anyway, and I’m simply not hip and with it. Now with my HHIS (Head Hanging in Shame) at being such a n00b (newbie), I still need to ask you to PXT (Please Explain That). MTFBWY (May The Force Be With You). Martin SETE (Smiling Ear To Ear)!

Posted By Frank Hayes Hi Martin I am glad that some people have responded to your question. Many years ago I was in the same position as your good self coming out of the services with a NEBOSH Certificate and paying for the Diploma out of ones pension. Great I see that you are chomping at the bit ready to go. Please do not jump in the deep end with both feet. May I make a recommendation in that you take up a job which you are used to doing in the Services. I do not know what trade you are but I advise you to initialy go down that route. Once you have your feet in a Civvy job then start your Diploma course. Whilst you are studying sidle up to your bosses and let them know what you are doing study wise as this may turn the handle to open a door. They may even pay for your Diploma. Please do not run before you can walk because you may end up in deep and hot water. Get some commercial experience under your belt because the MOD is so unlike Civvy street. Your Resettlement Officer would by now have painted a glowing picture that Civvy Street will offer all you wish for and are gleefully waiting with open arms. Please be advised that your resettlement Officer will not have any Civvy steet experience anyway and is quite happy where he / she is right now happily sipping Pink Gins in the Officers mess / Wardroon, they are alright at the end of the day and in theire eyes everything is OK. A load of bull my friend, I have been there and got the T shirt. I reckon that it will take you at least five years to gain some sort of commercial experience and you will never get the rest because you will never stop learning. Please do not take the first job that you can find, there are some recruitment agency sharks out there quite eagerly waiting to jump on your back and get you small pennies knowing that you have a service pension keep you afloat. After you have secured your first job and two years into your Diploma course then is the time to sniff around for your second job. Reasons being is that one needs to start getting some commercial experience in on a broad range of subjects. I know of a little chap who left the Navy then joined the MOD after getting them to pay for his Masters degree then a short while later left the MOD joined a Civvy job. How calculating and devious is that is that I hear you say? I totally agree with you there my friend. He is still there in the same goldfish bowl job and he will be stuck there till he retires because he is now type cast in the same job and only has experience in one discipline if you understand where I am coming from. After another two years you need to start looking around again, you would have completed and passed your diploma by then, all paid for by your self and you have nothing to hold you back now. It is the time to go for it big time. It took about six moves to secure a brilliant job with mega bucks to make me a very happy man. Be very careful of those who will try to drag you down to their gold fish bowl level as you are clambering up the ladder. There are a quite a few no hopers and hangeroners (they know who they are) out there who only have self interest at heart and not the dedicated discipline. Health and Safety is not just a job, it's a dedication. Have a good day and good luck. Have a good think every time you take a big step and test the water first. Franky CMIOSH etc

Posted By Tony Batty Martin, I'm in a similar situation to you. I have the IOSH accredited Managing safely, Risk Assessment and Manual Handling Instructional Techniques certificates. I also completed the NEBOSH Certificate. In April I will be attending a First Response On Scene course with the Avon Ambulance services and in May attend a First Aid At Work trainer and assessors course. This will give me my CIEH Trainers certificate. When I start training the certificates issued to customers will also be endorsed by HSE and serial numbered. You have received some good advice but the best is to actually do what you are good at which will get your foot in the door. I was told at the last Safety & Health EXPO in Birmingham that you will take a decrease in salary when you leave the services, this is to be expected unless you are extremely lucky. But I was also told that your pension and your gratuity is not there to supplement this decrease. I come from a finance and adminsistration background which has required me to oversee H&S matters as you will have done in your job no doubt. I have applied for all sorts of jobs, medium to high salary, because no matter what the vacancy says you should never under sell yourself. It is a well known fact that service personnel when leaving the forces always under sell themselves when applying for work. Companies that insist on applicants having quals coming out of their ears are disappointed when the applicant is successful only to find they have employed a no-brainer. Life experience is a better qualification than someone who has drank it up for three to four years, has no life experience whatsoever and a company expects them to be the best thing since sliced bread. All I say is this - persevere and it will come your way. Contimplate working for 2 or 3 years and then change for a better paid job having accrued your diploma and any other training you can get on. Tony