Are you better than your resettlement allowance?

This post comes from an interaction I had with someone leaving the forces. They were leaving the RAF, had lots of experience working on aircraft and were looking for a civilian industry to transition to. Funnily enough I could relate to this...

They were interested in the rail industry, working on trains. Essentially following in the footsteps of a friend who had recently left. The problem was this person had served 6 years which entitled them to a £534 IRTC grant. Now, obviously this grant is better than a kick in the balls but I believe there's a risk it could be detrimental to forces leavers lives...hear me out.

Firstly, the money can only be spent on training courses provided internally by the CTP or with CTP preferred suppliers*. This without doubt limits your options; which in and of itself can be a significant problem!

*Update: After speaking with the CTP they informed me that this is a myth. The money made available to service leavers for their resettlement can be spent on training courses that meet certain criteria. There is a process for it which is reasonably complicated and varies quite a lot depending on your circumstances. In simple terms, if the training course you are looking for is NOT provided by the CTP themselves or one of their preferred suppliers then you can apply for funding.

Example...this person had Level 3 qualifications in Aeronautical Engineering along with years of experience both in the UK and overseas operations. The best use of their IRTC grant was a domestic electrician course...which I believe is off-the-chart stupid.

To think that forces leavers as highly qualified as this are 'house bashing' as domestic electricians really upsets me. If the same person had served a longer term they would have been able to attend the NTAR Rolling Stock course and the rest of their life would look completely different.

My point is that you're probably better than your resettlement allowance. Don’t think that just because the forces won’t pay for a course for you, you’re not good enough for that industry. I beg you not to limit yourself to the opportunities available to you at any particular moment in time.

Tecso’s are always looking for delivery drivers, shelf stackers and trolley collectors that doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your time. If that’s what you really want to do, great...go for it! The bit I have a problem with is that this 'helpful' grant could be limiting you.

I left the RAF 14-years ago with £0 resettlement, if I’d left with a £534 IRTC grant I could (in theory) be much worse off now. As luck had it, I fell into the railway. They recognised my transferable skills and I was trained on-the-job, whilst being paid!

Don’t get me wrong...it was hard work, long hours and I felt so out of place I was reading train manuals in the evenings to bring myself up-to-speed. But I got through it and have built myself and incredible life (more on that later!). I'll say this again as it's really important...

Don’t think that just because the MOD won’t pay for a course for you, you’re not good enough for that industry. Chances are, if you have the right attitude you'll find opportunities in the industry you want to work in. Any good company will recognise this and invest in you so you can achieve the necessary qualifications they want you to have for the role; this might take time and effort but that doesn't mean it's impossible!

If you’re leaving the forces and thinking about a job in the railway (particularly if you have little/no resettlement allowance) please get in touch with me, I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions. Just send me a direct message on LinkedIn.

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