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Captain Tony Miklinski RN is the Director of Naval Training and Education, and his brief also covers resettlement. 'Education in the Navy was decimated in the 1990s, with my post only being recreated in December 2000. However, we are now heavily involved in lifelong learning, following both the government's and our own agendas.
'Any education policy has to decide how much is enough, and we are working to produce a charter for learning and learning centres, as well as an audit process to see how we are doing. Both should be in place by the end of the year.'
He emphasises that the provision of learning is a high priority for both First and Second Sea Lords, and is quite open about the pressure on him to ensure that its delivery stays on track.
'We didn't have people in ships, so we are now posting in eight Fleet Education Officers. These are full-time officers who are there to stimulate and support lifelong learning. Between 10 and 15 per cent of the Navy afloat is already learning, and we think that another 70 per cent or so could get involved.
'The SDR commitment is for every Service person to achieve a Level 2 qualification within three years of joining. We currently deliver this to 95 per cent of people, with 80 per cent of new recruits due to gain a Modern Apprenticeship from this September.
'The package includes Key Skills, an NVQ at Level 2 or 3, and a technical certificate that will be an HND for artificers. We are now working on what we are going to provide for the remaining 20 per cent.'
Miklinski is committed to RN people being offered 'through life development' using in-Service schemes. He defines these as: 'Service-designed, Service-financed, and with the necessary time to study also being found by the Service.'
Many officers join the RN with a degree, but this means that some of them are already in their mid-twenties, and the Navy would like to get them earlier. One option is to offer in-Service degrees, and the Flying Start scheme already credits aircrew flying training towards an Open University degree that can be completed through further individual study.
From September 2003, Foundation for the Future (F3) will offer non-graduate officers a foundation degree in Nautical Studies from Plymouth University once they complete initial officer training. They will be able to complete to a general honours degree from Plymouth or the OU early in their careers using RN-financed distance learning and, possibly, study leave. 'Best of all,' points out Miklinski, 'they will get their degree with no student debt.
'F3 for artificers will be a similar scheme that we're negotiating with Portsmouth and Kingston Universities. At the moment, they get an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship and an HND. The HND could perhaps become a foundation degree in the future, depending on which can most easily be converted later into an honours degree. So all engineers could expect assistance during their careers towards a degree.'
Although there are degree schemes in operation or planned for PTIs, medics and warfare officers; foundation degrees for non-artificers and the less technical branches are the least well developed. The stated intention to make an in-Service degree available for all Naval people remains, and Miklinski sees this starting 'perhaps at senior rate level'. But as yet he does not know how or when. He also sees completion rates through to full degrees as critical - he wants 50 or 60 per cent minimum.
Initial officer training at Britannia Royal Navy College and Lympstone has been mapped for Licentiate Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and this is 'likely to go ahead at Dartmouth with membership being funded by the Navy. Then we're looking at a through-career template to allow people to read across and take elective CIPD modules to up their level of qualification. We are also seeking to extend CIPD qualifications to appropriate senior rates.'
The Royal Marines now award an NVQ at Level 2 in Public Services, and the European Computer Driving Licence or equivalent will also be delivered to all new officers and ratings in the next 12 months. The latter will do three modules during training and complete the qualification in learning centres using Standard Learning Credits.
A total of 16 of the 18 Naval Service learning centres will be accredited learndirect centres by the end of the year, giving learners access to a huge variety of learndirect courses and funding.
The very top of the RN is determined to provide the money for all these schemes, despite other pressures on the budget. Miklinski is clear that 'Enhanced Learning Credits will happen, although everything is inevitably subject to MoD funding constraints.' However, it is clear that it will take a nuclear-tipped Exocet to sink this particular ship.
We are working to produce a charter for learning and learning centres
The SDR commitment is for every Service person to achieve a Level 2 qualification within three years of joining
All engineers could expect assistance during their careers towards a degree
16 Naval Service learning centres will be accredited learndirect centres by the end of the year, giving learners access to a huge variety of courses and funding
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