Aviation - Case Studies

Mal Collins

When Chief Technician Malcolm Collins left the RAF in February after a 30-year career, he had served all over the world and represented the Combined Services at fencing. The 48-year-old Engineering Technician (Airframes) wanted ‘to move on and seek a new life away from the services. I had bought a house in Italy and therefore had the option of getting a new job in the UK on leaving the Forces, or taking a few months off and seeing if work would be available there.’

Day release from 1989 to 1993 gained him a HNC in Mechanical Production Engineering, City & Guilds Licentiateship, and a NEBS Certificate in Supervisory Management. He is also a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Leadership and Management.

A Career Transition Workshop was ‘very enlightening and encouraging. The leader was excellent at demonstrating and translating Service experience into qualifications and personal qualities. It gave me great confidence in seeking work. The RFEA job finding service was very interesting and encouraging, they put me on to lots of agencies who specialised in aircraft engineers, and gave me plenty of potential job leads to pursue.

‘I found my job through two ex-colleagues. I emailed my CV, had an interview within 48 hours and a job offer the following day. I’m an aircraft engineer handling and maintaining helicopters for the Kuwait Police Flying Wing, based at KuwaitInternationalAirport. My work is very similar to engineering practices within the RAF; I feel very comfortable working in a civilian company, yet in an aircraft engineering environment.’

Published December 07