Mark Campbell - Opted NEBOSH Package

CASE STUDY

Years Served: 22 years

After completing 22 years in the Royal Navy, I reached the point when I needed to seriously consider which courses to apply for during my resettlement period, and pursuing a career in health and safety seemed the obvious path to follow. In fact, you could say it was a no-brainer. As a member of the Armed Forces, regardless of rank, you are embroiled in a strong health and safety culture whether you like it or not, always being encouraged to follow the rules, and enforce the correct procedures and practices, all while embracing a ‘work safe, home safe’ attitude.

I decided to take a combined NEBOSH package through Woodward SHE Ltd, which consisted of five NEBOSH certificates. These included the General Certificate, the International General Certificate, the Construction Certificate, the Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate and the Environmental Management Certificate. When I compared other companies that were offering similar NEBOSH packages, and taking everything into account (cost, location, course dates), it was clear that Woodward offered the best value for money by far. After using one of my ELCs to pay for the majority of the total cost, I was left with a small balance to pay, which was pretty much covered by my resettlement grant. The booking process was very simple and straightforward, and was handled superbly by Sharon Long at Woodward, who is an admin ninja. My booking confirmation and all the necessary course documentation were supplied quickly and efficiently by Sharon, who also sent me regular updates too. 

As a member of the Armed Forces, regardless of rank, you are embroiled in a strong health and safety culture whether you like it or not

My five NEBOSH courses were split over six weeks and all took place at Catterick Leisure Centre spanning a ten-week period. The extra weeks scheduled between the courses were great for two reasons: first, they allowed you valuable time to complete your module projects, which had to be submitted by specific deadlines; and second, they gave your brain time to recover after being bombarded with information. 

Our instructor for the majority of the courses was Alan Springhall, who was fantastic throughout and proved to be a health and safety guru. He was highly professional and extremely knowledgeable in all health and safety matters, which truly helped when explaining the content of the modules. Alan’s expert knowledge of the subject, coupled with his plethora of examples, scenarios and situations, gave everyone an excellent base on which to build. All the modules culminated in a closed-book two-hour written exam, which was policed and adjudicated by James Duggan following the strict NEBOSH guidelines and rules to the letter. After completing the exam, it was time to endure the agonising wait for the results – a gruelling 12-week period. 

It’s now been six months since I started my first NEBOSH certificate back in February 2018, and I’ve received all my results. I passed all the certificates with flying colours and I can now legitimately list them on my CV, changing ‘Result Pending’ to ‘Achieved’. I’ve recently applied for a variety of health and safety positions, ranging from HSEQ manager to health, safety and well-being consultant and environmental officer, all of which required a NEBOSH qualification. I’ve got two interviews on the horizon and a couple more job closing dates to expire, but the future is looking promising. 

If you are considering gaining any NEBOSH qualification as part of your resettlement, I would certainly recommend using Woodward SHE Ltd. They are very professional and friendly, and offer great value for money. I can’t thank Woodward enough for helping me gain my NEBOSH health and safety qualifications, especially Alan Springhall, who made everyone feel welcome and valued – and made everything seem like common sense. 

See Health and Safety feature here