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Independent resettlement & recruitment guide for serving Armed Forces & Veterans

Marine Engineer: Steven Pearson

CASE STUDY

15 Jun, 2018

Final Rank: Chief Petty Officer
Years Served: 21
Specialisation/trade: Marine Engineering Technician
Enlisted: October 1996

Hello Steven! Please tell us when and why you registered for ELC. 
I registered back in 2004, on advice from my Service Education Advisers.

THE COURSE

How did you select the course you are now undertaking?
I found out about it through a friend. It was a bonus that I could use my ELC to contribute towards the cost of the course.

What qualification do you hope to receive as a result of using ELC? 
BSc (Hons) Engineering and Management Studies.

Who is the training provider? 
The University of Portsmouth.

Is the course well run and relevant? 
It was a steep learning curve as I have been used to being provided with information and acting on it. The course has totally changed the way I learn. All the information needed is online through the university and I like that I can determine how I will obtain my degree.

Anybody who chooses not to register, in my opinion, has not been given good advice on the ELC programme 

Is the course academic, vocational or a mixture? 
It’s mostly academic, but a lot of the learning is done in the workplace.

Will the course build on Service/civilian qualifications you have already achieved while serving? [The qualifications Steven already holds are listed in the accompanying box.]
Yes, it will build on qualifications I already hold. I chose this course as I have been in a managerial role for a number of years now but had no formal qualifications to evidence it.

STEVEN’S QUALIFICATIONS IN HAND

Military qualifications:

Switchboard Operator Certificate
Marine Engineer Officer of the Watch 1 and 2

 

Civilian qualifications:

NVQ level 3 Mechanical Maintenance
Foundation Degree Marine Systems

Please describe the course. 
The course is delivered through the Learning at Work department within the University of Portsmouth. I had to provide evidence of my prior learning to the university, to determine how many credits I would need to obtain my degree. My learning contract is a layout and a contract with the university that determines how I will achieve this. You can choose either projects alone or you can also include some taught units. 

How much study is involved in classes, at home, using e-learning? 
All my study was conducted at home. This had to be carefully managed as only a few months into my course we had a new member of the family arrive. A new baby, full-time job and studying to meet deadlines was a challenge!

How do you think the course will help your military career? 
It has certainly benefited my current unit as all my projects are based around my work.

How do you think the course will help any subsequent civilian career? 
I commenced the course with my future career in mind. I want a managerial role in my next career.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

What advice would you like to give to other Service leavers going through resettlement and career transition? 
ELC are a great benefit for a Service person. Anybody who chooses not to register, in my opinion, has not been given good advice on the ELC programme – especially now that so many places that offer training courses or further education are enrolled as providers with ELC.

To find out more, visit www.port.ac.uk