Joining the Armed Forces

[R.Sparky]

Hey there, i've recently enrolled to join the Royal Engineers (hopefully) and become an electrician...

Obviously i'd be working on wide range of things, so i just wondered if any of you with previous forces experience had any idea what qualification you actually come out with? and if it's useful on "civvy street"


Cheers guys,


Ryan.

 

[philip962]

You get the basic but you can do further with money that the army give you it is a good way of getting the quailfications and experience t I have 3 years left till the end of my 22 years and it has been fantastic career let me know how you get on and if you need any advice pm me

 

[R.Sparky]

You get the basic but you can do further with money that the army give you it is a good way of getting the quailfications and experience t I have 3 years left till the end of my 22 years and it has been fantastic career let me know how you get on and if you need any advice pm me

Thanks alot mate, i will pm you now!

 

[johnboy6083]

i learnt my trade as a sapper in the RE. I broke my leg jsut before doing my AM2, and so left with no qualifications (the army give you part 1 +2 2360, but you take all the exams at once, not seperately like in college.

I came out and worked as a sparks mate until i took the 2330 level 3, and my NVQ3. i already had the 2391, and 16th edition from resettlement grant the army give you when you leave.

when i worked as a sparks mate, i realised that the theory i had learnt was taught a lot better than in the colleges where, most of the blokes i was working with were attending. But (a big but), i had no practical experience, and didnt know the names of anything. Im a quick learner, and soon picked it up, and it helped that i was working for a company who were prepared to help me out and a bloke (now a very good friend) took me under his wing and i effectivley served an apprenticeship under him.

The training i had in the army was very good, and i passed all my exams 1st time, event though it was after 2 years since i left the army, and i had no theory instruction during that time.
I have friends now who are ex sappers, and all of them agree that you dont gain enough practical experience in the army, unless you are very lucky (or unlucky if you may). But if you are prepared to listen and learn, when leaving the army, you will soon pick it up, but dont expect to know it all. nobody does, but using the theory knowledge you have gained, you have a good foundation to work from.
Hope this helps you to make a decision mate.


John

 

[pmac10]

mate this will be the best training you will get, only the committed and best pass armed forces apprenticeships. i see young guys day in day out who think college day is an extra holiday and actually think they are extra clever when they can club together and cheat through exams. im sure army training is the same as raf training in that, if your not interested,out on your ear,try and cheat?, out on your ear! not up to the job? out on your effin ear!
you learn extra stuff like there is no such thing as 'cant' and only the best will be good enough, and if i saw you as a potential employee, i would jump at the chance.
good choice pal, and all the best, be safe.
ex raf

 

[DurhamSparky]

Well speaking from an entirely different view point! I served with the Senior Service!! i cant grumble about the training i recieved as it has given me a healthy stead in my current career outside the Royal Navy, only thing i will say is unlike the Army / Raf the navy does not accredit its engineers with the 2330 or wiring Regs let alone 2391

17th Regs are not applicable on Ships/Submarines!!

i was taught to fault find and all the technical info i needed but like a say never received a formal C&G accreditation , i did how ever do i joint Elec / Mechanical apprenticeship and thus received my Nvq and stuff in Mechanical work which i despise!! i would have worked toweards a NVQ in Elec had i been promoted but i got Med Discharge!

but with all my technical knowledge i topped up during service i did my 2391, 17th and also a BTEC Level 3 with ease prior to leaving.

its a good career and you will have ups and downs like any job but the best thing about the forces is the friends/mate you make!! TOP CLASS.... im a civvy now and nobody can touch the humor and respect towards each other that you get in the forces...!!

 

[pmac10]

seems i forgot the most important point, mates, as Durham pointed out quiet rightly, not the type trying to bail you out of a police cell, the one sitting beside you thinkin how the **** did that happen!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DurhamSparky]

hmmm.... that never happens...!! lol... i know lads who tried to break people out of cells in Gibralter!!

my mates a Navy Copper and he is mad as a box of frogs as well!!!

you ever wonder why some places refuse entry to service people!!! because 1 in all in regardless!!! boucers cant cope

 

[pmac10]

hmmm.... that never happens...!! lol... i know lads who tried to break people out of cells in Gibralter!!

my mates a Navy Copper and he is mad as a box of frogs as well!!!

you ever wonder why some places refuse entry to service people!!! because 1 in all in regardless!!! boucers cant cope

bouncers need a course to tell the difference between steward/marine, clerk/para, admin,raf reg!

 

[DurhamSparky]

normally the tats help a lot

 

[pmac10]

normally the tats help a lot

apparently mine just say 'THUG', i'm only 5'5"?????????????

 

[GStueyXR]

I served 9 years, loved the first 3, hated the last 6... Times were changing, cut backs really took the fun out

Havin said that, the mates you make are just better in every way than civvy mates..

Good luck.

 

[DurhamSparky]

in forces encouraging your mates to blow there wages in one night is fun..! strippers, hookers, and 24h beer festivals are every day thing. tell ya civvy mate to get lashed up on a tuesday night with work next day he wll tell ya to f off...!! in forces if you not out mon tue wed your a -----, thursday use dto be dodgy as i know loads of lads (me included) who drove home friday!

civvys dont have same sense of humor..!! like if you give ya oppo a wedgy in middle of club he would probably take his skiddy pants off and throw it at the nearest lass..!! a civvy would cry , probably never speak to you again or get you chucked out!

also urinating in your bed drunk at ages 16 - 45 is not uncommon in the forces...!! and is considered funny. where as civillians would look at you with disgust!! lol...

getting ya willy out at every available opportunity will be a thing of the norm as well!!

 

[GStueyXR]

getting ya willy out at every available opportunity will be a thing of the norm as well!!

This has never left me

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I am ex Royal Air Force. HM Forces are by far the best training institutions in the world. You get all the training you need and want for free, its full time, you get fed and watered, and best of all they pay you well for doing it.

I was trained as an Aircraft Electrical Mechanic, and further trained to Technician. I also did ONC Electrical engineering at local college. Then I got The JAR 66 B2 Aircraft Maintenance Licence again at their expense, in todays money that would cost about £20,000.

With training and further training, the potential is limitless, it is up to you how far you want to go.

When you get into your last couple of years service before leaving the forces you will be able to go on resettlement courses, again these are free and are of your choosing to suit your preferred choice of career once you are discharged, so if you went down the sparky route then thing like PAt testing, 2391, 17th edition etc etc would be available, i did domestic appliances amongst other things, not only that but you can also start a new job up to about 11 weeks before you are out because you get 6 weeks resettlement leave and about 7 weeks annual leave.

Things will have changed since i came out 20 odd years ago, but my brother is still serving as a Squadron Leader supply officer in Khandahar, he is due out in May 2011, he will be 40, full pension and massive lump sum, he is taking a PGA qualification to become a Golf Pro and The RAF are picking up the tab, nice.

Your forces qualifications will be exactly the same as the civilian ones, but your employability will be far superior. For the first 5 years after my discharge i got offered every job i applied for.

Good luck and let us know how things go in the future.

Cheers..........Howard