Choosing your resettlement training

This article is a guide to making the most of your Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT), and the grants and allowances that come with it

This article is a guide to making the most of your Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT), and the grants and allowances that come with it. The opportunities are set out below, but for more detailed information look in Factfile, or read Quest’s current issue.

Consider the amount of training you have had for your Service job; now imagine the same amount for your next job. Resettlement should be an ongoing process, not a frantic rush in your last weeks of service. Plan early, be realistic and take action to ensure a smooth transition into a civilian career and the rest of your life. Use the annual Standard Learning Credit and the new Enhanced Learning Credit to build skills well in advance.

Research, using the Internet, resource rooms at Regional Resettlement Centres (RRCs), and local libraries, to find out about career opportunities and entry requirements. Take advice from your Career Transition Partnership (CTP) or Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA) consultant about employment opportunities where you are considering living.

Workshops

As well as career counselling, CTP runs two three-day and other shorter workshops at its RRCs. The three-day Options workshop is designed for people with about two years before leaving who want to explore possibilities for their future. The Career Transition three-day workshop teaches the skills that enable you to obtain a civilian job.

Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT)

Look in Factfile for your entitlement. Options are:

- training at the Resettlement Training Centre, Aldershot – limited to 20 working days; costs 5 per cent of Individual Resettlement Training Costs (IRTC) for each day; usually in last nine months of service

- Civilian Training Attachment – formal training at a civilian college, company, or training establishment; attracts IRTC funding; usually in last nine months of service

- Civilian Work Attachment – attachment to company for on-the-job training and work experience; at any time in last two years; not IRTC funded, but travel and subsistence may be payable

- Individual Resettlement Preparation – time used for own resettlement activities; not IRTC funded; at any time in last two years; can claim GRT travel warrants.

Why take a course?

Ideally, you should complete major learning leading to employment before your resettlement time starts. You can then use your last few weeks to take courses or finish qualifications that will be attractive to civilian employers. You can also take courses that help to update your skills and aptitudes, or take training that provides the qualifications for a specific job. Many skills, like computing and driving, are now an everyday part of working life. If you wish to become self-employed, there are courses and loans to help you do this.

Selecting a course

Be realistic about yourself and your expectations. Look at the qualifications, skills and experience you already have and those required for the course. Build on them to overcome any skill gaps. You may already have some learning and/or experience that will count towards a qualification. Do you need a pre-course course? Do employers in the area in which you want to resettle value your chosen qualification? Check this out before you book. Are there other qualifications that will equip you for the same job? Does the method of course delivery – classes, private study, distance or supported open learning, the Internet – suit your learning style? How much time do you have available for studying? What access do you have to the Internet or other learning tools, like a PC with a CD-ROM?

Selecting a training provider

Decide on the type of learning you require: academic or vocational. What is the reputation of the training provider? Are formal qualifications or membership to institutions available from the provider and are these valued? Who accredits these qualifications? Is there an introductory seminar? Check out the quality of instruction, class sizes, equipment to be used and general facilities. How long is the course and how much time is spent in the classroom? How much home and self-study is required? Some courses may involve considerable pre-course self-study. Ask your consultant and former students about the training provider. Relevant institutes and associations may also have advice and information.

Costs and grants

You may need to invest your own money in these courses or qualifications – remember that you are investing in your own future. Be aware that exam or certification fees may be additional to course fees. Is accommodation included? Where is the course located? Is there evening access to study rooms? Is there a requirement for out-of-hours work? Make sure you use your Standard Learning Credit entitlement in the years leading up to resettlement and Enhanced Learning Credit while serving, during resettlement and in the ten years after you leave, as well as IRTC, accommodation and travel entitlements.

A few key questions

• Is this training or qualification really going to help you become employed in the sector you want and at the level you want?

• How do you get the course signed off by your resettlement officer?

• What paperwork is required?

Hopefully the above information will help guide you to making the most of the resettlement training opportunities available to you.