Liam McGough: using ELC

CASE STUDY

Years Served: 9 years
Service branch: Royal Navy
Specialisation/trade: Seaman Specialist, Warfare

Hello Liam! Please tell us your reasons for leaving the Services.
I left for family reasons, and also because I wanted a new career and challenge.

Did you attend a Career Transition Workshop and, if so, where?
Yes, in Portsmouth. It helped me understand how to write my CV so it would stand out.

Tell us when and why you registered for ELC?
When I joined, I was offered ELC and I registered as soon as I could as I saw it as a good opportunity.

How did you select your course?
I used the ELCAS website – it was very easy and straightforward.

What qualification have you achieved as a result of using ELC?
A gas engineer qualification, taken with NGST Newcastle. The course was very well run. The staff were all pleasant – very professional and approachable – and the course was a mixture of academic and vocational study.

How much study was involved?
There were two or three weeks of class work and the placement was seven to ten weeks, depending on what qualification you already had. On the course I learned how to service and repair all gas appliances and become Gas Safe registered – a career to be proud of.

Did you attend any other related courses and, if so, which?
Yes. I also did my unvented with NGST Newcastle.

Before you started, what did you hope the course would give you?
I hoped it would set me up for a career on the outside and it did! It gave me a whole new career as a fully qualified gas engineer – and now the possibilities are endless.

What advice do you have for other Service people registering for or using ELC?
It’s a great system to help educate you further or to get you started on a new career.

What is your current job?
I work for property development, management and maintenance company, Bernicia Homes, as a gas engineer.

Please describe what this job involves on a day-to-day basis?
I service and repair gas appliances. The job is different every day and gets you thinking.

What training or experience gained during your Service career are you now finding useful in civilian life?
My ability to talk to people.

What are the major differences between your Service role and your current job?
Finishing times, overtime pay – and now I get to go home at the end of the day!

Is there a significant difference in salary (good or bad)?
I earn more now than I did in the Services.

What advice would you like to give to other Service leavers going through their own resettlement and career transition?
Get as much information as you can from your Resettlement Centre.