Diving

Name: James Ringrose

Rank on Exit: Forward observer/PTI

Years of Service: 7 Years

Qualifications Gained: welding/fabrication qualifications

Cpl James Ringrose, 27, left the Services in 2008 with seven years in 7 Para and two in 22 RE under his belt, specialising as a forward observer/PTI and welder/fabricator. ‘I broke my legs in a parachute accident, which was when I left 7 Para, but I found that the engineers wasn’t really my thing, so I thought I would try something different on the outside. He is now self-employed, working as a 3.2 inspection diver, and currently awaiting the results of a 3.9 UT inspection course he recently completed (he is also a surface welder/fabricator).

He finds the training and experience gained in the military useful in his new career: ‘Self-discipline is the main one I use daily offshore, but the welding/fabrication qualifications come in handy from time to time just to get on jobs, even if I don’t use them.’ Civilian qualifications gained while serving include ‘Welder/fabricator and level 2 maths, English and IT. Also I think the Class 2 PTI could be transferred if I wanted to work in gym.’

He attended his CTW at Tidworth and found it ‘brilliant for learning to write a CV’. During resettlement, he also undertook a ‘commercial diver construction career package at the Underwater Centre in Fort William, as well as an offshore survival course with Petans in Norwich. A year after completing my initial diver training at the Underwater Centre, I returned to do my Closed Bell Saturation diving qualification.

‘Personality and work ethic determine whether you make a decent living offshore or not,’ he says, ‘plus luck and knowing someone who can help you get your foot in the door.’ Currently working as a lead diver with a medium-sized company in the Caspian Sea, his job involves ‘conducting all aspects of subsea inspection on vessels and installations offshore in support of the oil and gas industry. I like the diversity, being away from people and of course how the money allows me to live when I’m not working, but I dislike getting wet!’

There are compensations though: ‘With the right qualifications, experience and, of course, being in the right place at the right time, you can earn between £900 and £1,100 a day – but be prepared to work for nothing in bad conditions for a while to get there … not to mention the three times I’ve been attacked by pirates in Nigeria!’

Published ...December 2011

Name: Paul Livingstone

Rank on Exit: Stg

Years of Service: 12 Years

Qualifications Gained: -

Sgt Paul Livingstone served in the Army for 12 years, leaving in 2009 to seek ‘new challenges’. Now working as the managing director of maritime security and training company MARSEC International Ltd (a job he has been in for six months), he says, ‘I think the Forces as a whole stand you in good stead for civilian life, as does the ability to stay calm under pressure and communicate to people on a level that they understand.’

He found his first civilian job on leaving the Forces, as a Vessel Protection Officer, via ‘recommendation from a friend’. Returning to the subject of his current job, he says: ‘I now coordinate maritime security training courses as well as send teams of security personnel on to vessels to provide protection from piracy. This entails anything from visiting shipping companies to present our services, to running operations and coordinating with the teams on the ground. It is very much like being in the Armed Forces still, but without all the crap that can come with that. All our operators are ex-Forces, and we all have similar interests and sense of humour.’ He highlights the similarities between his Service job and his current job, saying that ‘working with professionals on a day-to-day basis, who are focused on completing the task in hand’ reminds him of his time in uniform.

In terms of differences, though, he says: ‘I am now in control of my own destiny – the harder I work, the more my company reaps the benefits. Or, if it is a nice sunny day, I’ll divert my phone to my mobile and treat myself to some time in the beer garden. I am home a lot more now. I still go overseas, but when I choose – if I don’t want to go I send someone else.’

Published ...October 2011

Name: Simon Mackay

Rank on Exit: WO1

Years of Service: 23 Years

Qualifications Gained: ITIL V3 course

With 23 years’ service under his belt, WO1 Simon Mackay is due to leave the RHG/D this September, having served in locations such as Germany, Cyprus (UN), South Africa, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘The training I gained throughout my whole career,’ he says, ‘has prepared me to remain flexible and to expect the unexpected.’ Commenting on the civilian qualifications he has obtained during his Service career, he says: ‘In my last posting I managed to attend both the PRINCE2 Practitioners course and the ITIL V3 course, which will help me to understand project management theory in any future role I may undertake.’

Of his CTW, he says, ‘The CV preparation was very useful, showing you how to turn military qualifications in to “civilian-speak”.’ During resettlement he also undertook a Divemaster fast-track internship with EBO Activities: ‘EBO were helpful from the start, all the way through to the completion of the paperwork at the end of the course.’

Although currently still serving, he has already done some work as a freelance scuba instructor, gained through network contacts made on an Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) course. This is the career he intends to pursue on leaving the Forces and could, he says, involve ‘anything from Discover Scuba Dives (DSD) for people who haven’t done any diving before, up to and including assessing Divemasters in Training (DMT)’. He is looking forward to ‘getting paid to take part in the best hobby in the world in sunny countries’!

Asked whether there are any similarities to his Service role, he says: ‘Yes, due to the nature of the diving industry there are a lot of safety procedures to follow to the letter, and a great reliance on the buddy system (looking out for each other).’ In terms of differences, he continues: ‘The diving industry is quite relaxed, but people work hard and play hard. The management within the diving industry is profit-driven as the more sales = more people taking up diving as a sport/hobby, which in turn leads to more repeat business.’ Although he says the salary he is likely to earn ‘is significantly less than that of a serving WO1’, he is sure ‘the rewards will outweigh any financial constraints’.

Published ...September 2011

Name: Dayne Stewart

Rank on Exit: LCpl

Years of Service: 6 Years

Qualifications Gained: Skiing instructor, mountain leader and lifeguard

Infantryman LCpl Dayne Stewart left the Army last November after just over six years in uniform. The civilian qualifications he gained during this time include skiing instructor, mountain leader and lifeguard.
He found his CTW ‘very useful’ and also took a ‘very well run’ resettlement training course with EBO on Koh Tao, Thailand, in 2010, as a result of which he achieved the PADI Divemaster qualification. His first civilian employment after leaving the Forces was as a Trainee Divemaster with EBO on Koh Tao.

Of his training, he says: ‘It was a challenge, but it was worth it. It is a very responsible position within the schools and my military training applied well: initiative, leadership discipline, etc. I am now working my way around some amazing places diving and travelling. I have been making contacts all over the world and I can enrol on the Instructor course in the future, too. Diving brings people of all ages and backgrounds together and was a fantastic way for me to find my feet in civvy street. Love it!’

Published ...March 2011

Name: Paul Grany

Rank on Exit: Specialist clearance diver

Years of Service: 11 Years

Qualifications Gained: Defence Instructional Techniques Course

Having spent 11 years in uniform, serving in the Intelligence Corps in locations such as Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan, specialising as Operator Military Intelligence, Corporal Paul Grant left the Forces ‘to see the world and broaden my horizons. I joined when I was so young, I hadn’t really experienced anything else in life.’

Now working as a PADI Dive Instructor and Resettlement Manager for Bali Scuba, he says of his Service training, ‘there were a few courses that have helped me since leaving, including the Defence Instructional Techniques Course. I realised I have a love of teaching and now get great satisfaction from teaching people about something only a fraction of people ever get to see and appreciate: the magical underwater kingdom. Also, the presentations I gave in the Services, to large audiences, boosted my confidence in my teaching and instruction abilities.’

He attended a CTW, which he says gave ‘great advice and help for CV writing and job interviews’, as well as ten hours of flying lessons, as ‘I really wanted to be a pilot until I realised the world is my oyster and I really love the atmosphere, vibe and way of life in Asia. It allows me the freedom to relax and enjoy the good things in life, with little of the hassle and stress found in the West. I really wished I had done my Divemaster Course as part of my resettlement training instead, as this would have saved me a great deal of money. That’s why I now assist Service leavers in gaining such qualifications.’

He eventually took his Dive Instructor Course in Bali and, ‘soon after my course I secured employment in the industry as I had carried out my course here, which helps a lot’. As part of his current job, he has ‘initiated a resettlement package for Service leavers who are seeking a new life as a dive professional. I assist those who wish to undertake a PADI professional internship and train as dive professionals. I have designed the sort of package I wished for when I did my resettlement.

‘Of course, my pay is nowhere near what I earned in the Forces but the lifestyle here in Asia is so much cheaper and I can work in any tropical paradise that has great diving. The options to traveal and work are pretty limitless – and I love the fact I can help Service leavers realise their own dream of living and working in the sun!’

Published ...March 2010

Diving - Case Studies