Using personal development grants

Simple maths and a knowledge of the rules show that a Service person who stays in for 22 years can claim around £10,000 in grants and receive other MoD money to help with travel and subsistence as they use these grants in support of their personal development. Of course, individuals have to find some cash themselves to be able to claim these allowances but, by any standards – including those applied to university students – these are generous benefits that everyone should use to the maximum.

Standard Learning Credits (currently £175 a year) apply only during the period of service, while Individual Resettlement Training Costs can be claimed only during the resettlement period. However, the newly adopted ‘big brother’ of both of them – Enhanced Learning Credits – is available during time spent in uniform and for up to ten years after leaving.

ELC rules are quite complex, but in essence they say that any individual who registers can claim a sum of money for three years, which need not be consecutive, after they have served a specified number of years. They can receive up to £1,000 a year after four years’ service and up to £2,000 a year after eight years’ service. They must contribute £1 themselves for every £4 claimed and the whole package will be tax-free while they are serving.

If you offered this deal to a civilian they would snatch the money before you changed your mind, and wonder what the catch was. There is no comparable universal scheme outside the Forces. Just think about it. Your employer is offering you thousands of pounds to learn about something that interests you and that will be useful in your life during and after your current employment contract. Certainly there are some restrictions and caveats, but the rules are drafted to be as wide as possible.

Although there may be some tax implications for them, the first batches of Service leavers who could qualify for the lower level of payout are leaving the Services now. Just think of what they have to offer a potential employer who is baulking at the thought that this admirable candidate needs some expensive training. ‘Don’t worry – I can contribute £3,000 towards it’, might be just what clinches the appointment. Think also of the considerably enhanced resettlement training package it could purchase, or the ongoing commitment to a course of study leading to a really valuable qualification.

To find out more, see the magazine Courses4Forces at you local education centre or visit www.questonline.co.uk to obtain it electronically. It could be the best Internet visit you ever make.

See yourself in print

Our readers tell us that they enjoy reading the 200-word case histories that we feature alongside articles about employment and training sectors. They tell us that they develop ideas based on the experiences of Service leavers who have already made the transition, and that leaving the Services is made to seem that little less daunting.

We have published hundreds of these case histories, but they are now becoming difficult to find. Some Service people can be reluctant to talk about themselves, while resettlement advisers can maintain the resolute silence of Trappist monks when approached in the search for suitable material. Even some employers and trainers find it hard to provide details of their star Service leaver successes.

So we are appealing directly to our readers – be they Service leavers, their families, their friends, their employers, their advisers or their trainers. Send us your stories and we will publish them. Phone Quest on 01223 499880 or e-mail info@questonline.co.uk and ask for a case study form. Fill it in – electronically or in handwriting – and return it with a photograph (not a passport-style mugshot please). We will edit it, publish it and send you a copy of the magazine edition in which it appears.

The ideal case history contains details of the individual’s time in the Forces, why they left, information about the transition process, including briefings and courses, how they found a job and what they are doing now. Some of these details will not apply to some people; that does not matter – they should just complete the relevant bits of the form. In some cases the completed case history form will be enough while, in others, a follow-up telephone interview will be required to gain further information. A few people may have such interesting or valuable experiences that we will want to turn the 200-word case history into an 800-word feature. Everybody’s experience is unique to them.

People still serving in the Forces should always inform their unit public relations staff before sending us a completed case history form.

We are looking forward very much to hearing from you. Remember that everyone has a story to tell – they may think it boring and ordinary, but it may be of great interest to someone else.