Resettlement:

[mad eng]

Have to say fella you are way off the mark there. I've just been through the process and have found it excellent. Run by professionals with many years of experience in recruiting and re-training.
Sounds like your mate needed to have a bit more interaction with the 'HQ', everything I did was talked through with an advisor before it went ahead.

Best run outfit in the military IMHO, pity the best thing we do is see our guys off.

[Toddington Ted]

I agree with you Mad Eng, I am now on Terminal Leave (always sounds somewhat like a malaise to me!) prior to (all being well) starting my new job next month as a civvy lecturer in the place I've just left! Pay won't be much but better than nothing and I will still keep some links with the Service. I found the resettlement service to be excellent and, to some extent better than when it was part of my remit as an educator to give resettlement advice myself (perhaps that's a reflection on me but never mind) but I did have a firm plan on what I wanted to do when I left the RAF which helped me to some extent. I could have done bricklaying or alligator farming in Florida (I resettled someone who wanted to do that when I was at BZN in the early 90s!) but opted for a PGCE at the local college because it was a requirement for my new job and I could use my ELCs. I have found the resettlement service to be very good indeed and agree that its a shame we could not do more for people when they want to stay in.

[Stuff]

To prove how in touch the resettlement system is an old chum applied for a spot of duty with Jersey's Bureau D'Estrange hoping for some Bergerac type action.
The good folks at resettlement HQ gave him two weeks in a side street off Piccadilly thumbing notes in a Bureau de Change!

The resettlement people give advice and guidance, they don't organise placements. Either your friend is making this up for a good story or he arranged it himself and is a first-class plonker.

[Al R]

I remember that I wanted to retrain as either a stockbroker or a roof-thatcher and was told I ''couldn't''. I was offered training instead, as a security guard or driver or something, and I told them that I couldn't.

My one huge regret is that I didn't use my annual training allowance. If anyone is thinking about a second career in Financial Services using their learning credits/resettlement and on the drip, drop me a line.

[minigundiplomat]

I agree with Al R

There does seem a bias towards joinery/plastering etc or patrolling Tesco's if you are non commissioned.

[Wander00]

Just after I "retired" in 93 I worked in resettlement for a couple of years. This was just after the services produced that gopping video "Access to Excellence" about "the best trained workforce in Britain" (true) and that (even in a recession), employers would be falling over themselves to employ ex-service people (less true). "Resettlement" seemd to be based on the notice at the pub door - "Please leave quickly and quietly and don't disturb the neighbours".

I used to give a brief at resettlement centres and on units, based on a couple of ideas that the official system did not cover - most peole would work for small businesses - therefore no "personnel" department, selection was very often more luck than the best ever CV (one business sifted on the basis of a first class stamp, stuck straight on the envelope), and "contacts" were the best source of jobs (the RM had realised this and had a fantastic network). I also explained about the financing of small and medium sized businesses, that often any bank assiatance was based on a lien on the business owner(s) house(s), and that the employer could only afford staff who could help generate a a profit, and that turnover per head needed to be in the quarter million region to pay a salary of £20k a year. I had a couple of senior officers who wanted to ban me because they said I was depressing the troops. My argument was that "truth" now, was better than "realisation" later. I have since met peole who attended my days, and all said it had helped. Hopefuly the resettlement sytem is now giving a more realistic picture. Bottom line - good luck to all service leavers - you will find a job that suits, but it may take longer than you expect, and there may be one or two hiccups on the way.

[Rigga]

I left Laarbuch on a Friday and started work the following Monday at a large (then) JAR145 company based in Norwich - on "double pay" for three months.

My Wife's old boss said that the only people that need to know you're getting two wages are the taxmen...and they don't really have to know until they get the P45.

In my case the Taxmen didnt do anything and no-one in the RAF needs to know - they forget you as soon as you're out the gate anyway.


As for getting permission - I didn't want some idiot to have the choice of a "refusal" on my choice of new career.


Practice being a 'civilian' adult - make a decision about your future for yourself.

[Rather be Gardening]

I left the RAF a couple of years ago and found the service from the resettlement staff to be first class: helpful, knowledgeable and professional.

[EESDL]

for those of you who can't quite let go.....

RAF Reserves - FTRS Vacancies List

Leeming UAS pilot
FTRS
Call Steve down at Cranwell for more info
deadline 10 June

[Always a Sapper]

Like several of the others, I worked for my new employer right through my terminal leave period of 2.5 months.

'Out of sight, out of mind'

I did the same, right through my terminal leave period.

We won't mention the fact that I occupied the same desk as a civvie that I had while in green .........

[EESDL]

Officer association feedback

anyone on here used the OA for resettlement, would appreciate any feedback as to effectiveness/usefullness etc

[The Old Fat One]

As quite a number have pointed out, the reg that states that you can't work for somebody else when you are in the RAF is a somewhat unenforceable.

With the aid of the staish (usually delegated to OC Admin) it might also be circumventable, because there used to be a QR stating that you can take a part time job if it does not conflict with the service interest.

I used that to get "double-pay" for my last seven months in the mob back in 2003 and nobody gave a toss. As long as you fill in your tax returns correctly the IR doesn't give a hoot either...why would they?

There was also a thread sometime back about how much paid leave you could get at the end of your service.

My last day in post was 15 Nov 2002 and my last paid working day was 13 May 2003. And I know someone beat that by at least a month.

[The Old Fat One]

I also explained about the financing of small and medium sized businesses, that often any bank assiatance was based on a lien on the business owner(s) house(s), and that the employer could only afford staff who could help generate a a profit, and that turnover per head needed to be in the quarter million region to pay a salary of £20k a year.

Very wise words and not only applicable to SMEs. In the private sector, non-profit work (AKA overhead) is generally outsourced these days. Moreover, modern companies - especially the sucessful ones - are ever better at measuring the true value of their employees.

Bottom line, if an employee in any modern business is not adding value (which generally means profit), they will be out on their ear sooner or later.