Page 50 - 20145 AMA Spring

Resettlement into the outdoor industry
Why is it a good idea?
A career in the outdoors is often well suited to ex-military personnel as some of the skills required include leadership, problem solving, teamwork and communication; all of which will have been developed during your time in the military. Work in the outdoor sector will often involve developing these skills (among others) in other people through activities such as climbing, canoeing and walking.
Most outdoor instructors don’t earn a fortune but they spend their working hours outside, with the mountains, rivers and sea as their office. Opportunities exist to work all over the UK and Ireland, as well as further afield in Europe and the rest of the world.
How accessible is it?
The amount of re-training required before you can start working varies immensely depending on what kind of role you are looking for and what, if any, Adventurous Training qualifications you have gained during your service career. Starting from scratch involves equipping yourself with some of the National Governing Body (NGB) awards commonly asked for by employers. Your progress through the awards, which all require a period of consolidation, is not time sensitive as long as the skills and experience are gained.
If you already have, or are planning to get, some Adventurous Training qualifications, this may allow you to apply for exemption from training in the civilian world, or even gain a civilian award at the same time as your Joint Services qualification. Courses held at the Joint Services centres are often civilian accredited, the key thing is to make it known in your application for Adventurous Training that you require the civilian Mountain Leader or Single Pitch Award and
register with Mountain Training, prior to the start of your training. It’s also important to ensure you have the prerequisite experience in your logbook; this may seem a lot of effort at the time, but the alternative is to do a qualification only recognised by the military and have to redo a similar training course in the civilian world when you leave. All this costs money and time which could be better spent during your resettlement.
What sort of work is available?
Permanent outdoor instructor at a centre.
This work is often quite diverse and depending on the centre can involve work with young people from inner city areas, primary/ secondary school groups or those with special educational or behavioural needs.
Freelance outdoor instructor in the UK.
Being a freelancer involves less security as there is no guarantee of work, but often enables more flexibility because when and where you work is up to you.
Overseas expedition leader.
There are several large, and many smaller, expedition companies specialising in overseas trips for young people. They always need leaders to run their expeditions which are often to 2nd or 3rd world countries and their requirements with regards to qualifications vary.
If the outdoors is something you’re considering as a career, here are some key things to consider...
3
DO
• Plan your resettlement early and take advantage of the opportunities available through the Joint Services Adventure Training Scheme
• Log the activities you do during your time in the armed forces. (Nearly all NGB courses require a logbook of your previous experience, which can be challenging to compile retrospectively.)
• Register with Mountain Training for the
appropriate award prior to attending
a Mountain Leader Training (MLT)
or Rock Multi Pitch Training (RMT)
course. (If your training is delivered by
an approved instructor, it will be equivalent to the civilian Mountain Leader and Single Pitch award respectively and therefore recognised in the civilian world.)
7
DON’T
Beacons involved, so describe what you did/learned in a mountaineering context.)
• Assume that all the work you put in and the qualifications you gain in the armed forces will be accepted in the civilian world. (If you find out the details in advance there may be
• Use military terminology in your logbook. (Your average civilian will have no idea what Operation Dragonfield in the Brecon
things you can do to ten years before resettlement that will assist you in your transition.)
• Leave it to the last minute; Mountain
Training awards are largely based
on experience which takes time and could be gained throughout your military career, rather than in a blind panic as resettlement looms.
“Being able to introduce people to the outdoors is a hugely fulfilling job whether it is teaching them basic map reading, guiding a week long expedition in the wilds of Scotland or helping young people achieve the expedition section of their D of E.
Gaining Mountain Training qualifications is an enjoyable and rewarding experience which then gives me the opportunity to
48 ARMY MOUNTAINEER
pass my knowledge and experience on to others. The view from underneath the hood of a Goretex jacket in the mountains in the driving rain is definitely better than the view out of any office window!” Ed Boyden (left the military in 2009)
Mountain Training www.mountain-training.org