Fact File

Personal development and education opportunities

What is personal development (PD)?
PD is about self-improvement and satisfaction.  It is open to everyone and can be done for one or many of the following reasons:

• to improve knowledge for personal interest     
• to be introduced to new ideas or skill
• to broaden horizons      
• to enhance in-Service career prospects
• to gain qualifications      
• to prepare for a second career

defence business learning (dblearning) Defence Electronic Learning Centres (DELCs)
dblearning provides high-quality, cost-effective, competence-based training for MoD civilians and Service personnel to help them achieve their full potential and to meet the needs of the MoD. 

If you want to improve your skills, dblearning also runs DELCs in many Service establishments.  The courses are free and you can work at your own pace, by booking time at the centres and following computer-based activities.  dblearning DELCs not only provide IT training but also other interactive courses, from languages to management and efficiency training.  Some Service education centres also run their own, local DELCs.

General information and advice on all aspects of management, personnel, finance and efficiency training can be obtained from dblearning Corporate Services t: 020 7305 4195  or (military) 96305 extension 4195.

College courses
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.

 Sources of advice and finance

Personal development record (PDR)
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.

Learndirect
Learndirect is a free government helpline on which qualified advisers provide information on all aspects of learning, from UK-wide learning opportunities, to career guidance and sources of finance, and other national and local organisations that can help.
It is open between 9am and 9pm on Monday to Friday and from 9am to 12 noon on Saturdays. The helpline adviser can answer questions on any aspect of learning. The website address is www.learndirect.co.uk. 
The freephone number is 0800 101901.

University short courses
A tri-Service scheme exists to enhance the general educational development of Service personnel in relation to specific appointments. Short courses on topics like economics, politics and social welfare are run free of charge at universities and other training institutions.
Ask in your nearest education/learning centre for details or look in DINs. Alternatively call
01722 433525 (Army) 023927 27832 (Navy) 01400 268179 (RAF)

Useful Websites
Further sources of information:
www.questonline.co.uk
www.mod.uk
www.education.gov.uk
www.ctp.org.uk

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 t: 0871 468 0468 or visit www.ucas.ac.uk.

Standard Learning Credits
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.

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

Enhanced Learning Credits
The ELC scheme provides financial support in the form of a single up-front payment of up to £2,000 per annum (depending on length of Service) in each of a maximum of three separate financial years. The scheme is based on the principle that individuals will make a personal contribution towards the cost of their learning. The ELC contribution may be up to 80% of the gross course value. ELC funding is available only for courses that result in a nationally recognised qualification at level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (England and Wales), a level 6 or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) or, if pursued overseas, an approved international equivalent qualification.

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

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

Jobseeker Direct 
This is a government helpline providing information on a range of local and national job vacancies. The phone number is 0845 6060234. The Employment Service website provides information about employment, and JobCentres. The Website is at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

The government provides assistance through the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency, who work together closely in this area.

Your local JobCentre can provide a great deal of help in finding employment. Someone who has recently left the Armed Forces can join many of the programmes immediately. 

 Resettlement transition and employment

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 ‘actuals’ and administered through Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) self-service menus. At all times, receipts must be retained and produced in the event that a Service Leaver is selected for audit.

Service Leavers’ entitlement will depend upon the nature of their discharge and the length of their Service (see Figure 1). When selecting a training provider to deliver resettlement services, Service Leavers should be aware that the MOD operates a ‘Local Training First’ policy. Wherever possible, resettlement training should be undertaken local to (i.e. within 50 miles by road or 90 minutes by public transport) Service or home accommodation. Notwithstanding this, external training, including training undertaken overseas, that will incur subsistence costs may be arranged through any training provider in the event that there is no available CTP 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.

The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) 

is a partnering arrangement between the MoD and Right Management to provide job-finding support for people leaving the Armed Forces.  The Officers’ Association (OA) and the Regular Forces Employment Association Ltd (RFEA) are integral parts of the CTP and lead on the provision of job opportunities and job-finding support. 
Contact the CTP on 020 7469 6661 or visit its website at www.ctp.org.uk.

Figure1: A Service Leavers route map

Preferred Suppliers List 

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

Resettlement Services

1st Line
Most Service Leavers’ first port of call is with 1st Line resettlement staffs, who offer information and administrative support. 1st Line are:
• RN – Education and Resettlement Officers (ERO) in all units and establishments
• Army – Unit Resettlement Officers (URO) and Unit Resettlement Clerks (URC)
• RAF – Resettlement and Education Co-ordinators (REC) on stations.

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
Tri-Service resettlement support at 3rd Line is provided by the CTP, operating from ten Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) and the Resettlement Training Centre (RTC) in Aldershot. The CTP provides workshops, seminars, employment consultancy, resettlement training advice, and some in-house resettlement training for entitled Service Leavers from up to two years before discharge. A job-finding service, from six months prior to discharge (for up to two years after discharge) is delivered by RRC, Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) and Officers Association (OA) staff.

Career Workshops and Training Courses

Career counselling and other CTP events usually take place at one of the ten Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs) in the UK and Germany. Skills training takes place at the Resettlement Training Centre at Aldershot or as arranged with an external training supplier. For more information, contact your nearest RRC, ring the CTP helpline on ( 020 7469 6661 or visit its website at www.ctp.org.uk.  Further information can be obtained from any of the RRCs listed below.

• advice and support to ex-officers and their dependants
• access to a residential home in South Devon for ex-officers and widows, and an estate of bungalows in Hertfordshire for disabled ex-officers and their families.  

Telephone: 0845 873 7140  
E-mail: a.carrington@officersassociation.org.uk
Website: www.officersassociation.org.uk

The Regular Forces Employment
Association Ltd (RFEA) provides job finding support through a network of 24 employment consultants throughout the UK. It also provides lifelong access to job-finding information, advice, guidance and support to people who are or were eligible for MoD resettlement through the CTP. Through its charitable objectives some support is extended to all ex-Service people who have served for more than seven days, irrespective of eligibility, on a case by case basis, subject to certain criteria and at RFEA discretion.
Telephone:  0845 873 7166

E-mail: AdminRFEA@ctp.org.uk
Website: www.rfea.org.uk

Resettlement whilst overseas Those serving away from the UK can still make a start on their resettlement programme. They should initially contact their SDE HQ staff and register using a fully completed MOD Form 363, or MOD Form 363T/JPA application. If no such contact can be made, they should contact the CTP direct, either through the CTP website (www.ctp.org.uk) or via the contact numbers or emails given below.
 

Resettlement training overseas
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.

Service Leaver Support Teams (SLSTs) 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 co-operation with other agencies including the RFEA, single-Service specialists and the CTP.

Definitions, abbreviations and essential information
Below is a summary of activities, which may help in getting the most out of your resettlement time. Every Service person eventually returns to civilian life and should take full advantage of what's on offer before leaving

Agencies.  There are a number of job-finding agencies and many are available on the internet.  Some agencies are paid a fee by the job seeker to find a job (outplacement) and others are paid by companies to find people with particular skills (executive search).

Career Transition Partnership. The CTP is a partnership between the Ministry Of Defence and Right Management, a commercial outplacement specialist company.

Civilian training attachments.  These are training courses in specific skills run by civilian providers.  The length and cost of courses differ but many tailor their courses for Service leavers. Many of these are listed in Quest.

Civilian work attachments.  You may wish to spend some resettlement time working with a civilian company.  Many firms are keen to have your input and experience. Work attachments give you valuable work experience and can add to your CV.  In addition they are a means of networking and an employer may consider you as a permanent employee.

CTP Resettlement Programmes. There are two resettlement programmes offered by the CTP depending on entitlement. The Employment Support Programme is a reduced provision programme compared to the Full Resettlement Programme (FRP).

CTP Workshops and briefings. CTP courses range from career transition and options workshops to finance, business start-up, interview techniques and housing briefings. They also provide information and advice on other resettlement activities.  See the CTP  Guide published in Quest for full details on CTP short courses.

Direct approach.  You may wish to approach potential employers directly, following research, by sending a copy of your CV, even if you haven't seen a position advertised.  It should be accompanied by a covering letter explaining the reason for writing and what you hope to achieve.  You may wish to request information or a chance to visit the company.  Covering letters should be brief, accurately written, addressed to the decision maker and well presented to make a good impression.

Early Service Leaver (ESL). Those discharged either compulsorily from the trained or untrained strength, or at their own request from the trained or untrained strength, having completed less than four years’ Service.
Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT). GRT is flexible time that may be set aside for Service Leavers to use to complete resettlement activities, and enables them to combine any of the elements available for resettlement provision.

Individual Resettlement Costs Grant (IRTC). IRTC is a grant worth £534 that is available for entitled Service Leavers to expend during their resettlement on training.

Individual Resettlement Provision (IRP).  You can use your GRT on activities of your own choice, including CV preparation, job hunting, market research and moving house etc.

Networking.  'It's not what you know but who you know' that often offers a new opportunity, idea or change of direction. This happens every day in Service life, both formally or informally.  It does not only happen 'by chance' but it may require exposure to new environments not considered when serving.  Networking is about developing a range of contacts that will lead you to meet people who are directly in a position to offer you employment.

Normal Discharge Service Leaver. Those discharged from the trained strength either on completion of their engagement or having submitted their notice to leave, or having been given notice of discharge under redundancy.

Medical Discharge Service Leaver. Those who have been Medically Discharged.

RightJob. RightJob is the CTP job database that may only be accessed by entitled Service Leavers.

The Resettlement Training Centre, Aldershot.  The RTC at Aldershot provides a wide variety of resettlement training courses.  These range from mechanical, electrical, security and satellite courses to IT user and maintenance courses.  In addition it runs management and finance programmes, and prison and police service selection training.  Full details can be found in Quest  under RTC Aldershot Training Courses.

Writing a CV.  CTWs cover CV writing comprehensively but it is good practice to maintain a CV at all stages of your career.  Many guidelines are available in books and via the internet.  The CV focuses on your achievements and intentions and forms a sound basis for future development. It is good practice to have a variety of CVs (long and short) to meet any requirements.

Making the transition

Even if you have a job to go to on leaving the Armed Forces, it is most important to attend CTP Workshops.  They cover assessing your options and marketing yourself to a future employer.  If you don’t go - you won’t know.

The Options Approach is concerned with what you should do to secure your future.  Throughout our lives we are faced with choices or options and as you prepare to leave the Services, you are probably about to face one of your biggest ones yet.
You can never start early enough.  In order to commence a successful self-marketing campaign one of the first things you should do is to decide what it is you wish to achieve.

Understand the world of work

• Identify changes since you joined the Services
• Opportunities arising from these changes
• How to manage your own career  
• Different patterns of work
• Understand individual wants and match them to organisational needs
• Agree wants and needs with an employer, leading to job offer

Identify your interests and skills

• Clearly state your interests
• Identify skills and experiences
• Analyse formal and informal learning
• Align skills and interests to establish future direction

Balance 

• Personal needs, goals and aspirations with organisational objectives and opportunities
• Be clear about what you want
• See how and where organisation can offer it to you
• Synergy
• Both sides benefit from relationship

Proactive networking

• Start early
• Central to self-marketing
• Foundation of mutually supportive relationships
• Critical at all stages of career development, not just job change
• Networks are useful information sources
• Successful people develop networks
• Use them to market themselves and their organisations

Produce an action plan

•  For personal development and goal setting
•  Refine thinking
•  Identify specification steps to further development and career
•  Establish learning style
•  Manage the present to create your future
•  Overcome obstacles and maintain momentum

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

Define the product

• List your successes
• Focus on skills and attitudes rather than tasks
• Identify transferable skills
• Learn to think in terms of product (you) and customer (your next employer)
• Remember, customers buy benefits
• Define yourself in terms of unique selling propositions

Prepare self-marketing literature

Your CV should include:

• a personal profile - your unique selling proposition
• major achievements - the benefits you brought to current and
• previous jobs
• a focus on your transferable skills

• details of salary 
• references
• any negative aspects of your career to date
• clichés, jargon, abbreviations and untruths

Research the market

• Decide on sectors, geographical areas etc.
• Use directories, databases, internet etc.
• Ask for information
• Use your personal network
• Use industry associations, chambers of commerce etc.
• Attend jobfairs and conferences

Implement a marketing campaign

Use a variety of approache including:

• responding to advertisements
• direct approaches by phone and letter
• networking
• employment agencies
• develop a system and keep records of all activities
• follow up approaches systematically
• learn from your mistakes

Sell yourself on a face-to-face basis

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