Hi Kharn,

Being ex-services (left in 2013), I can confirm that certain courses you have undertaken throughout your career can either be transferred into "civvy" qualifications or be used as part towards gaining the civilian equivalent.

Some of the courses you quoted such as MATT 3 are based on military requirements and whilst not easily transferrable to a civilian qualification they will have given you valuable experience and skills that when worded correctly (i.e. remove all military jargon) on a CV will help you.

First point of call will be your unit education officer or regional resettlement office.  That should be able to advise on which courses you have done have a transferrable civyy equivalent.  Your JPA competence record should hold all the courses.  Also put a bit of leg work into contacting the course providers to see if their course is accredited to any civilian awarding body - then approach the awarding body to see if they can issue you a certificate (there may be a cost associated with it).

Overall the aim is to civilianise your competence to make you more attractive to a potential employer.

Good luck.

Kharn

I am ex army out 10yrs, you should speak to your Career Management Officer or Resttlemet Officer/Education Centre

When passed my SNCO promotion it was equivelent to Level 3 - ILM management

There are lots of transferrable military skills but you need to sort it out sooner before you leave

Good luck

Originally Posted by: Kharn

Hello, I am currently a serving Royal Engineer and trying to think long term about my future. I’ve started to be put into different roles within my work and heard from a RAF lad I was recently on a course with that I can get civilian qualification for courses I’ve already attended and passed with the military. How true this is I don’t know. I have manual handling train the trainer qualification JPA only. Unit Fire Safety warden- achieved at DFRMO Raf mansion. Responsible for maintaining fire safety standards at unit level. UNit Fire Safety Awareness Trainer- achieved at DFRMO Raf mansion. Responsible for carry out annual fire training and awareness training annually and periodically in the Unit. PAT tester qualified. JPA only. MATT 3 battlefield casualty drill first aid instructor. Combat Health Duties- pest control and rodent control qualified. Full clean driving license. Security clearance. Being an NCO if I was to use the Army Skills Offer I’d get a chartered management Level 2/3 qualification so I’m let to believe Having served over 8 years I would be entitled to get some Enhanced Learning Criedits but what to use them on for the future I’m unsure. Hence my query. Any help and tips in this matter would be fantastic and much appreciated. Kharn

Originally Posted by: geordierfc

Kharn

Also check enhanced learning credits, I got 3 x £1000 course grants to be used up to 10 years after I left.  I just used my last one as part of Level 5 Diploma H&S.

Worth asking your HR /Education people for advice.

cheers good luck

Are you sure thats correct? 3 X £1000, I thought it was 3 X £2000. Could be wrong. Also you can exchange all 3 payments for a Degree IIRC

Hi Kharn, I left in 2001after completing a full career and went straight into self-employment teaching first aid at work, which is a very small part of the health & safety jigsaw puzzle albeit important.  As I took enquiries over the years building up my client base they were asking questions such as fire safety, manual handling, working at heights, working in confined spaces, AED, etc.  I then realised as a training provider, that I had to retrain and gain additional instructor qualifications to offer this type of training.  I am sure in your role you hold many different qualifications, to do your job.  Let’s talk about health and safety.

First qualification, is get yourself a decent Level 3 or above teaching qualification.  It used to be PTTLs, CTTLs and DTTLS now it is the Level 3 in Education and Training.

Next qualification, get yourself a assessor qualification IQA/EQA.  It used to be the old D32/33, then A1/A2 qualification and now QCF NVQ Level 3 Assessor Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.

The next qualification will depend on what do you want to do in health and safety.  A generalist or specialist?  I am a generalist and very happy with it.  A specialist would be someone who specialise in, for example Utilities (Petrol, Gas, Chemical), Construction or Environment industry. 

I recommend that you get a NEBOSH Level 3 General certificate or equivilant.  NEBOSH stands for National Examination Board Occupational Safety Health and involves theory and practical examinations.  If you feel that you are an outdoor person then the NEBOSH Construction or Environment certificate may be the route to choose (specialist).

Most health and safety jobs want you to hold this level 3 qualification as a bare minimum and can offer anything between £20,000 - £30,000 pa full time.  Maybe more down South of England.

After you have gained anyone of these qualification, join either IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety Health), you will be award TECH IOSH status or IIRSM (Institute International Risk Safety Management).  Either one will give you some sort of health and safety recognition.  I can’t really vouch for IIRSM but I have been told it is on par with IOSH.  If you enjoy this role then you can progress towards Chartered status which make you an expert in your field with wages up to £50,000 plus.  Scary I know!  But when there is high wages there is high pressures and responsibilities.

This route towards chartered status can take between 3 – 5 years.

After the level 3 NEBOSH then there are 2 more qualifications which you must take before your journey starts towards Chartered status.

Level 5 – Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health – NVQ.

Level 6 – NEBOSH National Diploma -  Very Academia.

After completing either Level 5 or 6 then it is 2 year journey to gaining Chartered status.

Hope this helps.