ISSUE 16 : DECEMBER 2015 NEWS FROM THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF MILITARY ENGINEERING GROUP Inside: MD’s View – Three Years In Instructor Life Minley MT Training for Operations and Contingency 2 DECEMBER 2015 rsme matters Special HOLDFAST SPECIAL The ground-breaking strategic partnership referred to by Comdt, Brig David Southall OBE in the RSME Group vision is with Holdfast Training Services Ltd. The partnership came into being on 1 January 2009 and is now almost seven years in to a 30- year contract... We’re always looking for new parts of the RSME to explore and share within RSME Matters. If you’d like us to tell your story then just let us know. Ian Clowes, Editor, RSME Matters 07930 982 661 [email protected] DECEMBER 2015 3 rsme matters Contents Features Introduction .............................. 4 04 MD’s View – Three Years In ..... 4 New Role .................................. 9 Instructor Life ......................... 10 New Accommodation ............. 14 Holdfast special MD’S VIEW – THREE YEARS IN Drink Driving ........................... 17 Much has happened in the past three and a half years since I took up my post as Managing Director Holdfast... Read more on page 4 Gas Investment ...................... 18 Minley MT ............................... 21 Holdfast Reserve .................... 24 10 14 Oshkosh ................................. 26 Cherished Memories .............. 27 Draughtsman .......................... 30 INSTRUCTOR LIFE NEW ACCOMMODATION Looking back over the first 15 issues A significant milestone was of RSME Matters, you can’t fail to recognised in November with the be impressed by the range of skilled opening of a new accommodation and experienced staff including block at Minley... instructors and lecturers within the Read more on page 14 team... Read more on page 10 21 27 Cover: Members of the MT team inspecting one of the fleet of Holdfast vehicles at Minley MINLEY MT CHERISHED MEMORIES Inside cover: Holdfast Apprentice Josh Williams One of the areas that most Chatham Station hosted a visit by Photography: All images except where stated visitors to Gibraltar Barracks the Cherished Memories charity by Ian Clowes www.goldysolutions.co.uk often miss is at the bottom of the on 8 October following the Chief of Design and production: Plain Design www.plaindesign.co.uk main site. This is the home of the the General Staff’s approval of the Holdfast Motor Transport (MT) charity’s request to visit the Army... Printed on FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) activities... Read more on page 21 Read more on page 27 certified paper, which supports the growth of responsible forest management worldwide. 4 DECEMBER 2015 rsme matters Introduction Welcome to the latest edition of RSME Matters. It’s almost seven years since the start of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) that saw Holdfast Training Services begin the partnership with the MoD. In this issue, we take a look at the breadth and depth of the training and support provided by Holdfast in our special feature. In addition, Holdfast MD John Wadham MD’s View – takes time out to reflect on his first three years in post, detailing the growing partnership and highlighting some of the many achievements the Three Years In RSME has made during that time. Much has happened in the past the strength of the partnership; a recent We also meet the two Design three and a half years since I took nomination for an Institute of Collaborative Draughtsman disciplines and learn up my post as Managing Director Working national award is testament to about the redevelopment of the gas Holdfast. Structurally, there have been this success. training area within Heating and some changes including a transfer of Plumbing. Out and about, we learn shareholding from Carillion to InfraRed TRAINING more about Reservist Tim Bourne, and the integration of Babcock Defence The student is at the heart of everything an experienced plant operator and Services and Babcock Infrastructure into we do. Importantly, in the past three member of the Holdfast Combat one entity (Babcock RSME) as well as years, there have been no attributable Engineering Support Team and join the passing of several big milestones, the training failures, the quality of the trained Holdfast’s Colin Freeman as he teaches most significant of which is the recent soldier leaving the RSME is as high as the Engineers how to use chainsaws completion of the seven-year build phase. it has ever been and many Sappers for both route denial and clearance. This included the alienation of the RSME continue to be released to the Field estate at Lodge Hill, Kitchener Barracks, Army well ahead of their nominal release We learn what life is like for instructors Yantlet Demolition Range and Minley date. In addition to the Statement of and their families, as the RSME Manor. Operationally, it has been an Training Task (SOTT) courses, Holdfast becomes firmly established as a equally busy time in which performance has recently supported the trial for the solid rung on the career ladder for across the board has remained strong Reserve Artisan courses in Carpentry, all Engineers. Support of a different and I personally would like to thank all Bricklaying and Concreting and has kind was provided to the Cherished those involved in the delivery of training delivered a wealth of Mission Specific Memories charity; David Bowen and services for their contribution. Whilst Training (MST) including multiple courses reports on the recent visit to Chatham the performance statistics speak for in support of Project ANEMOI, a £28M by a group of youngsters who certainly themselves, key to our success remains construction project based in the Falkland left with some real memories, leaving behind many members of the RSME who were moved by the experience. Drink driving; everyone knows that you shouldn’t do it but Laura Wilkins and the safety team at the RSME took the message to students and instructors with their hands-on seminar. Continuing with the transport theme, we meet Paul Davies and the Motor Transport team at Minley to learn more about what they do. RSME Matters issue 17 will launch in the Spring of 2016. If you’d like to be part of that issue, contact the Editor, details on page 3, to share your stories. DECEMBER 2015 5 rsme matters Islands that will be carried out by Royal Trust Brilliant Award 2015 in recognition To support training, Holdfast has created Engineers from 8 Engineer Brigade. of excellence in the teaching of building some excellent training and learning services engineering. spaces; at Chatham the Soldier Space As you have been made aware in previous provides a combination of relaxation and editions of RSME Matters, many of the Whilst it is always good to receive such social space with a learning support area trade courses at Chatham have been public recognition, I equally value the complete with computer work stations subject to a transformation process. This comments of our external examiners and WiFi. At Minley, the recently opened process which combines modern and and assessors. To date, the feedback Burgoyne Centre provides a multi-purpose blended learning techniques with the aim received has been really positive and WiFi-enabled learning space that is flexible of teaching students ‘how to think, not whilst there have been many good enough to accommodate groups of various sizes with break-out rooms and smart “ PEW is a very good example of a well- board equipped seminar rooms. Also at integrated programme of academic Minley, the Command Training Facility (CTF) which utilises 3D modelling is being learning and professional development” used to support more and more courses both for the RSME and for external units. what to think’, enables students to work at examples, one of the most impressive is The development and success of the CTF their own pace. This change, supported by the feedback from the accreditation team is largely down to the Training Simulator the introduction of e-learning and mobile from the Engineering Council that visited Developer (Glen Draper) who was recently devices that allow students to gain 24-hour Professional Engineering Wing (PEW) in recognised by Holdfast’s parent company access to training materials, has had a July 2014. The aim of the visit was to Babcock International Group with the award really positive impact on training delivery assess the suitability of the Professional of Employee of the Year – well done Glen! and I believe has improved the training Engineering Training (PET) course for the experience as a consequence. award of Engineering Council Accredited But it is not all about ‘routine training’. Degree and they concluded that, ‘PEW is Holdfast prides itself on its flexibility and In recognition of quality of training delivered, a very good example of a well-integrated following the devastating earthquake in the RSME has received numerous programme of academic learning and Nepal, and within 24hrs of the request awards; the most prestigious being the professional development and that they being received, a user package for the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and had no hesitation in awarding the course Water Purification Unit was put together. In Higher Education in recognition for the the prestigious accolade’. More recently, total, some 40 personnel from 36 Engineer ‘implementation of high quality, cost- this was further endorsed by an external Regiment were trained in five one-day effective training’ that was awarded to our examiner who stated that he, ‘really could sessions so that they could deploy with sub-contractor Mid Kent College Training not praise this programme too highly; it the facility to the disaster area to aid with Services (MKCTS) in 2013. Earlier this is a credit to the Royal School of Military the huge humanitarian effort that was year, MKCTS was also awarded two City Engineering and Cranfield University.