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Fact File
What is personal development (PD)? PD is about self improvement and satisfaction.
It is open for everyone and can be done for one or many of the following reasons: MORE
Cpl James Ringrose, 27, left the Services in 2008 with seven years in 7 Para and two in 22 RE under his belt, specialising as a forward observer/PTI and welder/fabricator. ‘I broke my legs in a parachute accident, which was when I left 7 Para, but I found that the engineers wasn’t really my thing, so I thought I would try something different on the outside. He is now self-employed, working as a 3.2 inspection diver, and currently awaiting the results of a 3.9 UT inspection course he recently completed (he is also a surface welder/fabricator).
He finds the training and experience gained in the military useful in his new career: ‘Self-discipline is the main one I use daily offshore, but the welding/fabrication qualifications come in handy from time to time just to get on jobs, even if I don’t use them.’ Civilian qualifications gained while serving include ‘Welder/fabricator and level 2 maths, English and IT. Also I think the Class 2 PTI could be transferred if I wanted to work in gym.’
He attended his CTW at Tidworth and found it ‘brilliant for learning to write a CV’. During resettlement, he also undertook a ‘commercial diver construction career package at the Underwater Centre in Fort William, as well as an offshore survival course with Petans in Norwich. A year after completing my initial diver training at the Underwater Centre, I returned to do my Closed Bell Saturation diving qualification.
‘Personality and work ethic determine whether you make a decent living offshore or not,’ he says, ‘plus luck and knowing someone who can help you get your foot in the door.’ Currently working as a lead diver with a medium-sized company in the Caspian Sea, his job involves ‘conducting all aspects of subsea inspection on vessels and installations offshore in support of the oil and gas industry. I like the diversity, being away from people and of course how the money allows me to live when I’m not working, but I dislike getting wet!’
There are compensations though: ‘With the right qualifications, experience and, of course, being in the right place at the right time, you can earn between £900 and £1,100 a day – but be prepared to work for nothing in bad conditions for a while to get there … not to mention the three times I’ve been attacked by pirates in Nigeria!’
Having spent 11 years in uniform, serving in the Intelligence Corps in locations such as Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan, specialising as Operator Military Intelligence, Corporal Paul Grant left the Forces ‘to see the world and broaden my horizons. I joined when I was so young, I hadn’t really experienced anything else in life.’
Now working as a PADI Dive Instructor and Resettlement Manager for Bali Scuba, he says of his Service training, ‘there were a few courses that have helped me since leaving, including the Defence Instructional Techniques Course. I realised I have a love of teaching and now get great satisfaction from teaching people about something only a fraction of people ever get to see and appreciate: the magical underwater kingdom. Also, the presentations I gave in the Services, to large audiences, boosted my confidence in my teaching and instruction abilities.’
He attended a CTW, which he says gave ‘great advice and help for CV writing and job interviews’, as well as ten hours of flying lessons, as ‘I really wanted to be a pilot until I realised the world is my oyster and I really love the atmosphere, vibe and way of life in Asia. It allows me the freedom to relax and enjoy the good things in life, with little of the hassle and stress found in the West. I really wished I had done my Divemaster Course as part of my resettlement training instead, as this would have saved me a great deal of money. That’s why I now assist Service leavers in gaining such qualifications.’
He eventually took his Dive Instructor Course in Bali and, ‘soon after my course I secured employment in the industry as I had carried out my course here, which helps a lot’. As part of his current job, he has ‘initiated a resettlement package for Service leavers who are seeking a new life as a dive professional. I assist those who wish to undertake a PADI professional internship and train as dive professionals. I have designed the sort of package I wished for when I did my resettlement.
‘Of course, my pay is nowhere near what I earned in the Forces but the lifestyle here in Asia is so much cheaper and I can work in any tropical paradise that has great diving. The options to traveal and work are pretty limitless – and I love the fact I can help Service leavers realise their own dream of living and working in the sun!’
Published ...March 2010
Name: Neil Turner
Rank on Exit:Specialist clearance diver
Years of Service:Years...
Qualifications Gained:Experience...
Three years ago, specialist clearance diver Neil Turner left the Royal Navy. His work had included underwater engineering and explosive ordnance disposal, with a ‘very proud moment’ being when he ‘replaced the White Ensign on HMS Royal Oak, a war grave in Scapa Flow.’ Seven years in uniform had taken him round the world and he was an HSE-qualified scuba and surface-supplied diver with EOD training.
Needing a new challenge, Turner became an EOD technician in Iraq to earn enough money for Premium ROV training at The Underwater Centre at Fort William. The seven-week course started with a month learning ‘electronics including fault-finding, hydraulics and recognising and identifying components. Some I found a bit difficult but that was due to it all being new to me.
‘The final three weeks was the ROV piloting phase which was very interesting and gave me good experience for my first job, because the ROV I used was the same one I trained on. The course gave me a decent insight of what offshore work and life was going to be like, and you fly with live ROVs, gaining real-life experience in the unpredictable conditions of the loch.
‘Lots of hours and hard work sending CVs to companies’ led to a new career which includes ‘diver support, pipeline inspection, platform inspection and numerous other subsea tasks.’ He has worked in ‘Trinidad, Georgia and most of the Middle East and the North Sea. Long hours and plenty of travel’ are similar to the Navy but earnings of £350- plus a day are some compensation.
Published ...December 09
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