An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | Charting a New Course Charting a New Course by CPO/ERA RUAIRí DE BARRA, FLEET OPERATIONAL READINESS, STANDARDS & TRAINING (FORST) T he Defence forces represents a unique career and lifestyle that presents great opportunities along with great challenges. the military ethos, with its strong bonds of friendship and camaraderie soaks into the fibre of everyone that passes through it. However, like all good things in life, it must come to an end at some point and this article explores how some retirees have found the transition to civilian life and what impact train- ing and education has had on them. Educational opportunities and development: From the days of the Army Apprentice School to today's Technical Trainee Scheme, vocational training has been providing the enlisted ranks with a wide variety of skills and trades. Building on those traditions, current Defence Forces train- ing and educational standards are at an all-time high. With determination and vision, diploma-level academic accredita- tion was achieved for the Potential NCO course. Accredita- tion represents a major advance and affords the opportunity for any ser- viceperson to eventually achieve a BA degree for the Senior NCO course (level 7 on the National Frame- work of Qualifications). These qualifications allow an NCO's skills to be easily recognised and understood by potential civilian employers as well as providing a foundation for further study. Exploration and exploitation: Cdr Brian Fitzgerald was one of the driving forces be- hind this successful achievement. He has a passionate belief that NCOs' years of service and experience was going unrecognised and unrewarded. "The Naval Service has to con- tinue to encourage and enable its personnel to engage with personal development through further education opportuni- ties," he says. He emphasises the importance of individuals undergoing training being enabled for "exploration and exploitation of further education in order to self-actualise." While all this education and training is very beneficial to the individual, it is also hugely beneficial to the organisation as a whole. Having highly-trained and competent people at all levels of the Defence Forces will enable the organisation to achieve even more in the future. Making the grade: Eamon Dolan, who retired from the Naval Service in 2011 with 25 years' service and is now Training and Quality Manager with a logistics and mail- ing company, has just received an MA in Maritime Security from the University of Coventry. Eamon, who served five overseas tours of duty, had previously achieved a BA degree, with distinction, as a student on the first Senior NCO course to achieve accreditation. He has also been invited to attend an International Maritime Security Forum in Izmir in September and to submit a paper. What advice would he give to those plan- ning retirement or a change of occupation? "I would say that prepa- ration and planning are key components of any exit strategy. Envisage where you see yourself in the future and then consider what you need to achieve that. The main thing is to take responsibility and make it happen." Charting a New Course Charting a New Course

• Cover