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14 November 2006
Soldiers will now achieve civilian-recognised qualifications while training in the Army.
The newly established Industry Training and Vocational Qualifications (IT&VQ) cell will be run by Major Ian Bateman and Sergeant Aileen Tough, out of Linton Military Camp.
“It will expand on the limited capability we’ve had up until this point to recognise, manage, and administer the alignment of Army training, and the experience that soldiers achieve in the workplace, with civilian-recognised qualifications”, explains MAJ Bateman.
For many years, only soldiers trained in apprenticeship trades gained civilian-recognised qualifications. Meanwhile, other valuable skills developed during a soldier’s service, such as the ability to foster leadership and train junior soldiers, went unrecognised – in a civilian employer’s eyes, at least.
With the formation of the new cell, all soldiers completing a Junior and Senior NCOs course will gain national qualifications in First Line Management, and Adult Education and Training.
“Junior NCOs, particularly those that go on to become instructors, can then – as they go up their rank – reuse the credits they got earlier in their career when they step up to a higher qualification. If they stay in the stream they can go up to the diploma level as a Senior NCO/Warrant officer”, says MAJ Bateman.
MAJ Bateman has also identified trades whose training could be aligned to the National Qualifications Framework. Once these trades are aligned, soldiers in those trades will gain unit standards while training. These trades include: supply/quartermaster, intelligence operator, driver, chef, steward, military police officer, field engineer, and medic. The physical training instructor and armourer trades have already begun aligning their training to civilian training.
The introduction of the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme, a government initiative, will also be driven by the Industry Training and Vocational Qualifications Cell. Modern Apprenticeships provide a more flexible, relaxed and guided path to trade qualifications.
MAJ Bateman says the establishment of the cell increases the Army’s ability to attract and retain a high standard of personnel. Being a training organisation, he says the Army is better equipped than a civilian organisation to develop a soldier’s career through training and support. Plus, the Army pays for it. Soldiers who attend a Junior NCOs course, for example, will obtain qualifications worth $6,000.
“You’ll pick up trade qualifications in your specialised area; you’ll go through the promotion course and get leadership qualifications, business qualifications and training qualifications, which set you up for when you eventually leave the service.
“But you’re getting such a grab bag along the way; we’re looking after your lifelong learning requirements and hopefully the Army is a fun place to be, that you want to stay, because you’ve got no reason to jump out worried that you’re not going to be qualified enough when you finish your service.”
He says he has a few challenges ahead, to educate outside organisations about the Army.
“Even though Army really invented training and the systems that are used by civilian organisations, the outside organisations don’t understand our culture very well yet.
“It’s a matter of educating them that soldiers carrying around packs in a training area, doing leadership tasks, crossing bridges, carrying rifles and walking through the night, is good development towards leadership; that delegation, the ability to brief and give presentations – all the things we find natural and train people for – are sought-after skills on the outside but have different names.”
However, he adds that the accreditation of the Army Depot to deliver, assess and award unit standards towards First Line Management and Adult Education and Training, shows the Army is recognised as a provider of quality training.
This page was last reviewed on 16 November 2006 and is current.
