@ RTC Aldershot - Administration

Administration – from Basingstoke to Baghdad

Graham Aylott of the Career Transition Partnership reflects on the value to industry and commerce of the extensive administrative training given to Forces personnel

The links between the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) and the Armed Forces are strong and rooted in history. This probably stems from the widespread recognition of the value of Service training through personal experience; many employers have actually served and are aware of the transferable skills of Service personnel. It is hard to argue against a typical profile of a Service leaver who has undergone world-class training and possesses expertise in logistics, purchasing and finance, in addition to key generic skills such as management training, communications and problem-solving – especially when you have relied on those skills for your survival. In many countries where the IAM operates, the tradition continues and IAM-registered training organisations in these countries report consistent demand for such people.

In the UK, the situation is somewhat different. Ex-Service personnel find it increasingly difficult to get interviews for suitable jobs, and every year around 12,000 highly experienced staff become available on the civilian jobs market. The IAM has been committed to spreading the word about this under-­utilised group for many years.

Administrative management is a sector where the commonality of activity is immediately evident. Elements in the IAM syllabus have clear resonance with Service training and expertise. When we talk of ‘the individual and the organisation’ or ‘systems and activities’, even the titles bring immediate realisation of the transferability of such skills. Within the Forces, such expertise and personal development is recognised by promotion and postings. The IAM is actively promoting the relevance of military courses to its qualifications framework, from certificate level to a degree with Nottingham Trent University (see Defence Council Instruction 33/03 for details).

However, in the external commercial world, where others may not be aware of the significance of these indicators, they may be discounted – even given the high profile of recent conflicts such as that in Iraq. The IAM’s Continuing Professional Development scheme gives professional recognition to the management achievements and credentials of members of the Armed Forces. Indeed, the Personal Development Record can provide evidence of under-pinning knowledge. This link to the industrial/commercial sector is important because it provides a benchmark against which accomplishments can be compared. The process is familiar to those in industry and commerce who do not have Service experience, but can relate to a:

- comprehensive portfolio of achievements and Personal Development Plans

- international professional register

- systematic, rational approach to continued professional development.

The Career Transition Partnership brings together the MoD, RightCoutts, the Officers’ Association and the Regular Forces Employment Association, and co-ordinates the process of helping people leaving the Armed Forces to gain suitable employment. The Resettlement Training Centre is the hub, but there are a number of preferred suppliers around the UK, and each maps Service expertise against the requirements of employers. Attaching a Service leaver to an employer for work experience also helps employers and employees evaluate each other in the workplace, and often leads to a job offer. While this part of the CTP’s operation is run largely by the OA and the RFEA, RTC and supplier training providers often provide the missing element in an individual’s skills portfolio.

The statistics are impressive. The RTC has a pass rate of 98 per cent across its Administrative Management Certificate and Diploma programmes and, of the many people who took IAM qualifications last year, the majority secured employment.

This is what former Warrant Officer Class 1 Gill Cross observed: ‘I left the course early as I had a job secured. I have now returned to the RTC after leaving the Service a year ago to complete the missing module and to gain the qualification. I now realise the value the civilian job market places on the IAM’s Diploma in Management and my current employers would not promote me without it.’

This is hardly surprising, as the Institute’s membership now has an established record in supporting professional management, and includes directors, executives and managers at all levels. These are the professionals who manage administrative operations – in the public sector, the private sector and in organisations of all sizes. Many can see beyond the television pictures of uniforms in Baghdad, and can visualise the positive attitude, flexibility, IT literacy and self-motivation at work in their own organisations – in Basingstoke … or Basildon … or Burnley.

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Further information

For further details of recognition for Forces’ qualifications, or for how to progress on to higher levels of the IAM programme – up to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Strategic Administrative Management, contact the IAM on 020 7621 7099 and speak to Jane Mott, or visit its website at www.instam.org. RTC course details can be found at www.ctp.org.uk or by phoning 01252 348520.