Working in Working the armed forces ● Royal Navy & Royal Marines ● Army ● Royal Air Force Security & Armed Forces Contents What is Connexions? Introduction Connexions is a new service to help every young person make the right choices for them, about courses, training and careers. But it is much more than 2 that. Connexions can offer help with anything else you Royal Navy & are going through that might stop you getting on with Royal Marines your life. Whether for example, it is health or sexual problems, a disability, trouble at home, leaving care or, maybe Technician apprentice having problems with drink or drugs, the Connexions service Writer can get you the right help to sort it out. Operator mechanic (communications) A Connexions personal adviser may be based at your school or Marine engineer (submarines) college or can be reached at your local Connexions centre. There will be lots of Connexions points in your local area where you can get the Royal Marines commando latest information on a whole range of issues that affect young people's Royal Marines musician lives, including ideas for filling your spare time in a sociable, positive and exciting way. 10 The Connexions Working in series The Army What jobs can I do outdoors, use English for, or what is it like working in Dog trainer the engineering industry? The Working in series will help you to answer these questions. There are nearly 50 booklets in the series which cover different Dental nurse occupational areas, subjects and other areas such as working with children. Linguist They feature case studies of people actually doing the jobs. They tell you what Infantry soldier it is really like, the good things and the bad. Also included is key information like what qualifications you will need, what training you can get and how PT instructor much you might get paid. Military police officer We take great care to ensure that the information included Education officer in the booklets is accurate and impartial to help you make decisions about subjects to study, careers and what your future learning requirements are to achieve your goal. We do check each Working 19 in with professionals before it is printed, but things can change. Royal Air Force So at the back of the booklet you will find lots of telephone Pilot numbers, addresses and websites you can use to get the very latest information. Supplier Aircraft technician Key to salary icons Weapons systems operator up to £12,000 Personnel administrator Air steward £12,001 to £17,000 Catering officer over £17,000 28 This represents the typical starting salary Further information for the job featured in the case study. Working in the armed forces Introduction Each year the Armed Forces recruit some 22,000 young people to strengthen its 204,000 regular fighting force. More than 300,000 people are employed in the UK-based Armed Forces, of which about a third are civilians. The Royal Navy & Royal Marines look after our sea Training defences operating a fleet of surface warships, ship-borne You will be trained for whatever aircraft (fixed wing and helicopters) and submarines as well job you do in the Armed Forces. as Royal Marines commandos who operate at sea, on land All new entrants have basic and from the air. military training. This is followed by whatever The Army provides troops who protect our interests on training you need for the land, while the Royal Air Force provides the air power job you will do. Your element – patrolling our airspace. training will continue while The range of jobs available is vast. For instance, everyone you are in that job and in any needs feeding and looking after. Ships, planes and vehicles others you may do while you are need maintaining. And, the logistics needed to move groups in the Armed Forces. of people and their equipment across the world create a large need for administrative skills. Apprenticeships Each of the services offers Organisation Apprenticeships in the Each service is organised differently and each has its own technical trades. The traditions and ways of working. What they share is a training is very thorough command structure based on officers, non-commissioned and can last for several years. officers and other ranks: Sponsorship • Other ranks are ratings in the Royal Navy, soldiers in the Each of the services sponsors Army, and airmen/airwomen in the Royal Air Force. They good candidates through sixth carry out the basic military or specialist roles, often form and university studies. working in teams and usually under the direction of The competition for these someone more senior. Scholarships, Bursaries and • Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are supervisors Cadetships is very strong. and middle managers who lead teams of soldiers, ratings Candidates are judged on and airmen/airwomen. personal qualities of leadership and initiative as • Officers manage and lead the other ranks and NCOs. well as academic ability. Senior officers lead large teams, including other officers, and are responsible for the deployment of people and other resources. Many have their own professional or specialist role as well. Getting in Length of service Some people join the Armed Forces for a few years and You can join as an officer or as an other rank. Each service has its own procedure for others for their whole career. selection and joining up but the minimum requirements are similar: All the services require you to sign on for a specified Officers length of time. This varies according to whether you join •You will need at least five GCSEs /S grades(A-C/1-3) including English and maths plus a science or foreign language and 140 UCAS Tariff points. as an officer or as an other rank, but you are given the These can be at A/AS level (Highers in Scotland), Vocational Certificate of choice at certain points to decide whether to extend your Education, Key Skills and 1-Unit Awards. service, or leave. •For some jobs you need a university degree and/or a professional qualification. Other ranks •There are many jobs you can do in each of the services that do not need any qualifications. Each service will ask you to take an aptitude test. •For some of the technical trades you need qualifications (although there may be opportunities to move into some of these jobs after you have joined). 1 Royal Navy & Royal Marines Royal Navy & Anything’s possible with a career in the Royal Marines Royal Navy & Royal Marines… You could be guiding a frigate through high seas in the mid Atlantic… navigating a Merlin helicopter off the flight deck of an aircraft carrier… providing medical care in an emergency… playing a musical instrument in the Marines’ band. Although you must expect to go to sea if you join the Navy, some jobs are based on shore. As an officer in the Royal Navy you will have management responsibility for people and for state-of-the-art equipment. Specialists in the Royal Navy & Royal Marines work together to carry out vital work in ships, submarines, aircraft, naval air stations and shore establishments. All new officers begin with naval general training at the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. This covers seamanship, navigation and naval warfare. You also learn basic management skills. After a spell at sea on an operational warship, you return to college to start training for your chosen branch – engineering, supply or warfare. Salary information for officers Royal Navy ratings serve on ships or shore bases After successful completion of training, rank and starting salary depend on age. At supporting the sea-going Fleet and Personnel. In general, 18, you will be appointed as a midshipman earning £14,493; at 20 a sub-lieutenant ratings do not require GCSEs or equivalent qualifications to on £18,323. As a direct graduate recruit you will start at £20,173 as a sub-lieutenant join, while artificers (technicians), communication on appointment at 21. A university cadet will receive £10,687 in the first year. technicians and nurses do. All ratings need to complete a Medical and dental officers receive slightly more. Promotion to lieutenant starts at recruitment test. If you can prove that you know your job £31,854, rising to £37,883. Officers receive extra pay for flying or serving in and that you can lead people, you can be promoted to submarines, and special allowances are paid to those serving at sea. Additional become an officer. forms of pay are also provided for qualified divers, hydrographers and other specialised activities. All ratings receive eight weeks of basic training at HMS Raleigh at Torpoint, near Plymouth. At the end of eight weeks you will have finished your Phase One training. Salary information for ratings If you are to become an operator mechanic, you will remain Once qualified, able ratings earn between £13,461 and £24,313, and as a petty at the base for a further three weeks’ of seamanship officer £27,521 to £31,025. After training, artificers, communications technicians and training. Writers, cooks, stewards and stores accountants go medical technicians receive higher rates. For instance, an artificer apprentice starts at £11,804 during the first year of training, rising to £20,228 after four years. An to the Royal Navy Logistics School, and marine engineering unqualified nurse will start at a training salary of £11,432 leading to £13,461 on mechanics who have volunteered for the Submarine Service completion. Ratings receive extra pay if they work in submarines, on aircraft and on remain in the Royal Naval Submarine School. Otherwise, flying duties, or as qualified divers, hydrographers and other specialist roles.