Leaving the Forces

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

As some of you may or may not know I am looking at a medical board in May and may get discharged from the armed forces, but then again I may not if I get my way. I know the recession is in full swing and I don’t want to leave because of this, but this isn’t the issue.

I have my C+E and would like to go into driving but the wife is having second thoughts about it now (“too much time away from home” “I’ll never see you” “when will we ever spend time together?” you get the picture I’m sure?) so I am having obscene thoughts and decided that I may want to go over to the dark side and make drivers lives a living hell, sorry did that come out loud, I want to go into transport management!

I have a total of £534 resettlement funds available to me to spend on any courses that I see fit for me leaving the navy. I know it doesn’t seem much but there are other ways of bumping this up a little. I have just spoken to a company that can get me a course to do my international CPC in June for £534. But I may also be able to do a course for a CILT (Certificate in Logistics and Transport) Level 3 for approximately £1400 (this course, I believe, negates the need for a CPC if you work for a transport company as it is a little bit more in depth than a CPC and goes onto the management side of things as well), which I believe may be part of a diploma (or one step down from it as level 5 is a diploma) and claim this back through a scheme the forces runs called the enhanced learning credits, basically we get something like £6000 to use for 10 years after leaving the Forces, which can be used in only 3 separate times (i.e. roughly £2000 apiece).

My question to you is what would you go for first? The CPC to get the foot in the door and then study for the CILT while working for the company (maybe get them to part fund it as well) or just go straight for the CILT and get it over and done with?

If you have any knowledge of the CILT then let me now as I am a bit confused at the moment and my careers advisor is away for the next month or so and I need to find bunf out about it before he returns to give him an answer n what I want to do.

I have quite a bit of knowledge about supply chain logistics as I have been doing it for the last 19 years in the mob and would like to get to know the civilian side of it as well. It’s not as if I am plucking things out the air. It is something I know and the transport industry does interest me.

I am going to get shot for this as well, but I know :smiling_imp: Tesco’s :smiling_imp: are looking for trainee transport managers and they seem to like to recruit ex forces people for managerial roles and might go and work for them if they will have me but I won’t tell you lot if I do. You will Lynch me :smiley: :smiley:

Thanks for your time

2

If you have any knowledge of the CILT

oops. sorry. I saw the C and the T and thought it said something else :blush: :blush: :blush:

3

ROG:

If you have any knowledge of the CILT

oops. sorry. I saw the C and the T and thought it said something else :blush: :blush: :blush:

its a good job i got the letters the right way round as all us men wouldnt be able to find it (supposedly). i gave up looking for that years ago, its like the yeti, a mythical creature that never really exists but people talk about !

4

Hi mate you say you want to do your international CPC in June, so do you have the national one already, cos if you have not you need to pass your national one first.

And the other one you want to go for is IMO not much sort for in the general transport industry.

5

delboytwo:
Hi mate you say you want to do your international CPC in June, so do you have the national one already, cos if you have not you need to pass your national one first.

Sorry my mistake, i menat national but they will put me through my international when i have the national in the bag

delboytwo:
And the other one you want to go for is IMO not much sort for in the general transport industry.

i know it isnt very sought after in the transport world but there are other area’s of logistics, not just road transport (as you know) that it is sought after for if i want tio further my career later on.

by the way it is a Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport qualification so it does remove the need for a national CPC if i get it.

i did phone VOSA and ask them but the 40 watt lightbulb doris on the end of the phone said it was just CPC and that is it to be named on an O Licence, but having looked on thier website it does say that if you get the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport qualification you dont need a CPC to hold (or be named) on an O Licence.

i quote the VOSA website from here “VOSA Website”

Do I need any specific qualifications to prove professional competence?

You must have at least one of the following:

Grandfather rights - GV203 Certificates

In the past GV203s, which are green “grandfather rights” certificates were issued by Traffic Commissioners to those with experience of operating licensed goods vehicles before 1 January 1975. These are acceptable as proof of professional competence for both national and international licence applications. If you do not already have one of these certificates, you cannot now claim one.

Copies of lost or damaged certificates can be obtained, free of charge, from VOSA Central Licensing Services, Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds LS9 6NF. Application should be made in writing by the person to whom the certificate was originally issued, giving their full name, age and date of birth and the reason for seeking a copy. If in any doubt about the process, or if the original office has closed or moved, contact the VOSA Contact Centre on 0300 123 9000.

OCR examinations board examination

The examination for a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is set by the OCR Examinations Board (formerly the Royal Society of Arts (RSA)) acting as agents for Department for Transport. There is a national examination which meets the requirements for a standard national licence and an additional international examination for a standard international licence. There are no academic entry requirements for the examination.

Details of examination dates, test and study centres, and a more detailed syllabus are available from the OCR Examinations Board, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8HS (Tel: 02476 851 509).

There are no fixed rules or requirements for study. You can prepare for the examination by: Attending a residential course; attending a non-residential course; studying with the help of a special learning pack or by a correspondence course; or studying without assistance.

Other acceptable qualifications or diplomas

Certain other qualifications are acceptable as proof of professional competence. These are currently under review but if you have any of the following, you are likely to be exempt from the CPC examination.

a. For both a Standard National and Standard International licence:

i) Fellow or Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (formerly the Chartered Institute of Transport in the UK) by examination and/or formal accreditation in Road Freight Transport.

ii) Honorary Fellow, Fellow or Member of Society of Operations Engineers.

iii) Fellow, or Associate of the Institute of the Furniture Warehousing and Removing Industry, or from 13 May 1995, Fellow or Associate of the Movers Institute.

iv) Certificate in Transport (Road Freight) awarded by the Institute of Logistics and Transport.

b. For a Standard National licence:

i) Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (formerly the Chartered Institute of Transport in the UK) by examination and/or formal accreditation in Road Freight Transport.

ii) Certificate in Transport (Road Freight) awarded by the Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Associate Member of the Society of Operations Engineers (by examination).

General and Ordinary Certificate in Removals Management issued by the Institute of Furniture Warehousing and Removals Industry prior to 13 May 1995, or after that date the National Certificate in Removals Management issued by the Movers Institute.
RSA Certificate in Road Freight Transport granted on or after 1 May 1984 which specifically contains a footnote granting exemption.

Note: From March 2007, Institute of Transport Administration (IoTA) exemption certificates are not acceptable as CPC qualifications/exemptions for nominated transport managers. Any new applications which nominate a Transport Manager who submits for consideration an IoTA certificate will not be accepted without either providing additional acceptable evidence of professional competence or alternatively, an applicant may nominate a replacement Transport Manager who holds an acceptable CPC or exemption. This approach will be adopted until agreed LoTA examinations are in place for National and International operations. Operators who currently employ a Transport Manager who used IoTA certificates as evidence of exemption prior to March 2007 are not affected unless that TM wishes to be added to a new or additional licence. Should this occur the matter will be considered by the Traffic Commissioner

6

Hi mate

just if you would like to know there are some passed papers on th OCR website

link

you can have a look at them if that any good for you

and if you look down a bit you will see units bit and there tell you what you have to know

hope it helps

7

There’s nothing to stop you doing the National & International CPC at the same time - except maybe your brain power! ( I did it BTW :blush: )

Yes the CLI … - oops soz - CILT is a higher qualification but fewer people know exactly what it means, particularly if your going after a certain job!

8

In my opinion you’re better off doing the CPC course, if you can get funding to do them concurrent do so but you must have a national for an international to count.
Quite a few on here are in transport management either for themselves as self employed or as employed so it’s not an us and them, not much anyway :smiley:

9

stringy:
Quite a few on here are in transport management either for themselves as self employed or as employed so it’s not an us and them, not much anyway :smiley:

Maybe not, stringy, but with respect to all there’s a few on here that think road haulage is the only business in the world! :wink:

Gibsla, my own advice, FWIW, is to go for the qualification which gives you the biggest spread of opportunities; in other words, if CILT is more widely acknowledged in the logistics industry (as opposed to the purely road transport industry) then I’d go for that; I’d sooner be over-qualified than under.

10

delboytwo:
Hi mate

just if you would like to know there are some passed papers on th OCR website

link

you can have a look at them if that any good for you

and if you look down a bit you will see units bit and there tell you what you have to know

hope it helps

cheers for that Delboy. have you done the CPC or CILT then or did you just know where to find it?

some of those questions look a bit daunting but i guess nothing ventured nothing gained and all that. we werent born with knowledge, we need to acquire it.

11

gnasty gnome:
Gibsla, my own advice, FWIW, is to go for the qualification which gives you the biggest spread of opportunities; in other words, if CILT is more widely acknowledged in the logistics industry (as opposed to the purely road transport industry) then I’d go for that; I’d sooner be over-qualified than under.

That was my thinking as well but then again if i was to go for a job in a large place as an understudy of the overall transport manager with the CILT instead of a CPC would they feel intimidated that i may have a more widely used/better qualification than the person who is mentoring me?

(I’m not saying CILT is better than a CPC or vice versa but some of the older Tm’s might think this way? you know how cantankerous they can be!!!)

12

I have my C+E and would like to go into driving but the wife is having second thoughts about it now (“too much time away from home” “I’ll never see you” “when will we ever spend time together?”

Did you spend your 19 years in the Navy at home :open_mouth: Cause i know i never spent my time in the forces at home ( I WISH ] :laughing:

I know that you won’t have stayed at home ,so i know your wife would have to be on her own at some point in your career,it won’t be as bad as being away with the forces 6months at a time.

You can get job’s that are mon-fri and home every night and off weekends,it’s not all leaving on a sunday and away til the fri-sat.The only way is to get out there and find out for yourself. Get some experiance doing the job in the big bad world day in day out,you can alway’s go for cpc/cilt once your out and settled.

13

gnasty gnome:

stringy:
Quite a few on here are in transport management either for themselves as self employed or as employed so it’s not us and them, not much anyway :smiley:

Maybe not, stringy, but with respect to all there’s a few on here that think road haulage is the only business in the world! :wink:

Gibsla, my own advice, FWIW, is to go for the qualification which gives you the biggest spread of opportunities; in other words, if CILT is more widely acknowledged in the logistics industry (as opposed to the purely road transport industry) then I’d go for that; I’d sooner be over-qualified than under.

You misunderstood, by them and us I meant transport management and drivers which is what Gibsla hinted at in his first post.

14

Giblsa:

delboytwo:
Hi mate

just if you would like to know there are some passed papers on th OCR website

link

you can have a look at them if that any good for you

and if you look down a bit you will see units bit and there tell you what you have to know

hope it helps

cheers for that Delboy. have you done the CPC or CILT then or did you just know where to find it?

some of those questions look a bit daunting but i guess nothing ventured nothing gained and all that. we werent born with knowledge, we need to acquire it.

no not yet but thinking of doing it

there is a book you can by from

link

as its only 26 pounds it may be worth a look to see if its for you

15

delboytwo:
no not yet but thinking of doing it

there is a book you can by from

link

as its only 26 pounds it may be worth a look to see if its for you

cheers for that delboy. i’ll have a look at that in the next few weeks or so

16

kitkat:
Did you spend your 19 years in the Navy at home :open_mouth: Cause i know i never spent my time in the forces at home ( I WISH ] :laughing:

of course i didnt go away, im in the navy FFS :wink: :wink: :wink: more than i would like to remember to be honest :smiley:

kitkat:
I know that you won’t have stayed at home ,so i know your wife would have to be on her own at some point in your career,it won’t be as bad as being away with the forces 6months at a time.

i know that but it seems we have spent so long apart that now i am home every night (and have been for the last 5 years :open_mouth: (3 years in Gib and 2 years medically downgraded) she has got used to me being at home again

kitkat:
You can get job’s that are mon-fri and home every night and off weekends,it’s not all leaving on a sunday and away til the fri-sat.The only way is to get out there and find out for yourself. Get some experiance doing the job in the big bad world day in day out,you can alway’s go for cpc/cilt once your out and settled.

i know that but was just thinking of maybe other qualifications to further myself in this cutthroat world.

as it shows from this recession drivers get cutback and the TM’s are the last section to be cut back when it all starts to go pear shaped. i am just keeping my options open, plus if i do driving full time it might not be my cup of tea and at leats i will have other quals to stay in the business with the opportunity of the odd day out of the office.

17

Giblsa:

kitkat:
Did you spend your 19 years in the Navy at home :open_mouth: Cause i know i never spent my time in the forces at home ( I WISH ] :laughing:

of course i didnt go away, im in the navy FFS :wink: :wink: :wink: more than i would like to remember to be honest :smiley:

kitkat:
I know that you won’t have stayed at home ,so i know your wife would have to be on her own at some point in your career,it won’t be as bad as being away with the forces 6months at a time.

i know that but it seems we have spent so long apart that now i am home every night (and have been for the last 5 years :open_mouth: (3 years in Gib and 2 years medically downgraded) she has got used to me being at home again

kitkat:
You can get job’s that are mon-fri and home every night and off weekends,it’s not all leaving on a sunday and away til the fri-sat.The only way is to get out there and find out for yourself. Get some experiance doing the job in the big bad world day in day out,you can alway’s go for cpc/cilt once your out and settled.

i know that but was just thinking of maybe other qualifications to further myself in this cutthroat world.

as it shows from this recession drivers get cutback and the TM’s are the last section to be cut back when it all starts to go pear shaped. i am just keeping my options open, plus if i do driving full time it might not be my cup of tea and at leats i will have other quals to stay in the business with the opportunity of the odd day out of the office.

I know where your coming from,but please keep in mind that
Alot of companies are starting to make management redundant now as well.Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

ps.Have you thought about sending the wife out to work and you could be a house husband. :laughing:

18

Well people, it looks like I will be joining the rank and file of the job centre!

I had a meeting with the doc yesterday and he said if he was on the medical board I would be a civvy come august. This is not what I wanted hear really, now the recession is really biting. I know I won’t struggle to find a job but finding the job I want and enjoy might be a little harder. I have decided to take all the answers on here and put them in a hat and pull one out and the winner is… I don’t know yet! I haven’t decided and I am not putting my fate in a hat and a piece of paper.

What I have decided is this weekend I am going to send my CV and a covering letter to all the haulage firms around here and the big national ones(Richards, Stobarts, DHL and so on) and see how I get on. I won’t hold my breath but I do have my resettlement to fall back on, I am hoping to use it to do for my CPC then pay for my own HIAB, at least then I might get a few days a week on the builders merchants through the agency if all else fails.

I also have my ELC to fall back on so I think I will (or rather try) to do my CPC (nat and Int) and then use the ELC for the CILT once I am in this big bad world and cant get a job. Tesco’s have said they will give a two week placement before I leave the navy to see if I am right for them and they are right for me. I know its Tesco’s and everyone moans about them but it might be the foot in the door that I need.

Thanks for all the comments/pointers and I will keep you informed, its only 5 weeks until my med board and then I will be sat next to Rog asking “who isn’t working this week?”

Anybody got any pointers of good firms to work for that like ex military personnel or any contact addresses (PM me if you can please)so I can send my CV and letter to them, either via email or in the mail.

Many thanks folks

19

Doesn’t look rosey and to be honest, I don’t want you in my club :exclamation: :exclamation: :wink: :laughing: :laughing:

Are there any openings for a civvy where you work now :question:

20

ROG:
Doesn’t look rosey and to be honest, I don’t want you in my club :exclamation: :exclamation: :wink: :laughing: :laughing:

Are there any openings for a civvy where you work now :question:

there may be an opening but the starting wage is £16000 a year for a 37 hour week. the hours arent too bad 0730-1600 mon - thurs and 0730-1230 friday no weekends but on call every 6 weeks but to be honbest i wouldnt want to work there as its a pretty pants job (i think it is anyway) and i dont really want to be working in accounts or dishing out clothing for the rest of my natural. i want to do something that i enjoy (at the minute) and get a few contacts in the industry for future plans…