THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008
| III
The Daily Telegraph
QUALIFICATIONS CAREERS IN DEFENCE
IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN BRITAIN’S DEFENCE ACADEMY — FOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN STUDENTS — HAS AN ENVIABLE GLOBAL REPUTATION, WRITES NATASHA MANN are also networking, which can be a major help in your career,†says Hamilton, who studied for an MSc in defence acquisition management at the College. “In defence, particularly when you have major projects and operations like we’ve got right now in Afghanistan and Iraq, it’s actually who you know that can make a difference. I was in touch with many of the people I was on the course with afterwards, and it’s amazing how that helps in getting things done.†The Defence College offers postgraduate courses that cover the cutting-edge technology now being used in defence, from systems engineering, networkenabling capability, missiles and weapons development. There are about 30 Masters-level degree courses — in subjects such as project-and-programme management through to weaponand-vehicle systems, and many can be taken as fullor part-time courses or as flexible learning. There are also specialist short courses ranging from several weeks down to one day. The Academy’s other two colleges are the Joint Services Command and Staff College, which trains Army, Navy and Air Force officers and the Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, which teaches undergraduates. There are also two additional arms at the Academy — the Advanced Research and Assessment Group, and the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre. Academic support comes through a close partnership with King’s College London, Serco Defence and Aerospace, and Cranfield University, based in Bedfordshire, England. Along with the stately home, taken over by the military during the Second World War, the Academy also has a vast campus of state-of-the-art facilities, with new accommodation, playing fields and a golf course.
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It’s a huge benefit to bring the armed forces, civil servants and industry together to be trained The original Royal Military College of Science gained a global reputation for first-class undergraduate training and was considered the leading establishment for army personnel to hone the technological skills needed to become engineering officers and weapons officers. However, since the Academy was formed, several defence colleges and educational establishments have closed and many of their courses have been passed to the Academy; earlier, in 1998, the Royal Naval College,
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f you want to learn about the latest in cutting-edge missile guidance technology, the issues behind global security or the complexities of military supply chain management, then Britain’s Defence Academy is the place to go. Housed in a former stately home in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, its three different colleges run a great range of defence-specific courses for armed forces personnel, civil servants, military researchers and industry employees. The Academy — the UK defence establishment’s higher educational institution formed in 2002 — was once known as the Royal Military College of Science, and has an enviable reputation, attracting people from around the world. “You get a really rich variety of people; it’s a fascinating melting pot of academics, military, civilians and people from overseas,†says Paul Hamilton, director of the future business group at the Defence College of Management and Technology, one of the Academy’s three colleges. “We’ve people coming, not just from Europe, but India, Australia, Chile, Oman — even the United States.†The Defence College offers some of the most exceptional courses and experiences available at the Academy. Open to civil servants from the Ministry of Defence, industry staff from companies such as BAE Systems, and military personnel, it gives professionals a chance not only to study, but also to understand how their differing jobs interplay. “You
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Greenwich, which provided mid-ranking training for naval officers, also shut its doors. The Defence College of Management and Technology has also broadened its appeal to civilians. “The joint education means if you get people trained together, then those relationships will help you work together to achieve your goal,†says Hamilton. “Lots of civil servants — myself included — come from a procurement or acquisition background. When you have a major piece of equipment, there are often several services involved, and there also has to be a very close relationship with people in industry who are on the manufacturing side. There is a huge benefit in bringing all these people to be trained and educated together. “On a personal level, I think studying at Shrivenham gives you the chance to stand back, take a holistic view of what’s happening, and be prepared to challenge things.†Not only that, but staying at Shrivenham gives everybody the chance to mingle once studying is over for the day. “A great camaraderie is built up over the course,†says Hamilton. “You get that joshing in the bar afterwards — that friendly rivalry between the Army, Navy and Air Force. You have to be able to hold your own as a civilian as well.†And the training appears to work: Hamilton says that about half of those who have completed his MSc course have gone on to be promoted in their next job.
Graduation day: students from around the world, including Europe, India, Australia, Chile, Oman and the United States, are attracted to Britain’s Defence Academy
IN MY EXPERIENCE ... COLONEL JOHN ABBOTT, 47, studied for a full-time MSc in defence acquisition management when he wanted to change the course of his career. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the
Defence Academy. At the time I had been a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Mechanical Electrical Engineers for 20 years, but wanted to move into acquisitions. I lacked some acquisitionsskills knowledge and the course offered an underpinning — an intellectual foundation
for the business of acquisition. “I was particularly impressed by the way that Cranfield University, in Bedfordshire, the academic partner, really understood the context of the Ministry of Defence, as well as the academics. Also I remember one visiting lecturer, from
British Airways’ supply chain, who gave us a fascinating, insightful talk. “Overall, the course gave me credibility. Now – in my new job – I can stand next to my colleagues who have greater experience, and feel confident. Since I completed my course I have been promoted.â€
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Royal flight CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF THE SEA KING’S REIGN page 2 World of adventure LEARN HOW TO SKYDIVE, KAYAK AND SKI WHILE ON THE JOB page 4 The night watchers TARGETING THE DARK SIDE WITH BRITAIN’S ARMED FORCES page 7 ROYAL NAVY/CROWN COPYRIGHT Defence CAREERS IN T
II | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE FOCUS ALAMY; CROWN COPYRIGHT/MOD The Daily Telegraph A ROYAL light Lieutenant Fiona Bailey’s dream as a child was to fly helicopters for the Royal Air Force. Today, the 31-year-old is doing just that — as a Sea King cap
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | III The Daily Telegraph QUALIFICATIONS CAREERS IN DEFENCE IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN BRITAIN’S DEFENCE ACADEMY — FOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN STUDENTS — HAS AN ENVIABLE GLOBAL REPUTATION, WRITES NATASHA MANN are also networking, which can be a majo
IV | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT The Daily Telegraph C ON A MISSION KEEPING BRITAIN’S ARMY READY FOR ACTION REQUIRES A BEHIND-THE-SCENES FORCE OF 29,000 WORKERS, SUPPLYING CRUCIAL SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT — AND MARS BARS — AROUND THE
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | V
VI | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE INTERNATIONAL NATO PHOTOS The Daily Telegraph An attack on one Nato member will be regarded as an attack on them all HOW TO BECOME A NATO INTERN THERE’S no substitute for experience, which is why Nato offers a six-month
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 | VII The Daily Telegraph TECHNOLOGY CAREERS IN DEFENCE AS CONFLICT CONTINUES IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, BRITISH FORCES ARE GAINING THE ADVANTAGE IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL STAKES THANKS TO THE LATEST IN NIGHT-VISION INNOVATIONS, REPORTS THEA JOURDAN W Ni
VIII | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN DEFENCE TERRITORIAL ARMY ALAMY The Daily Telegraph COLOUR SERGEANT DANIEL RADFORD, 37, PRINCE OF WALES’ ROYAL REGIMENT, LONDON “I joined the Territorial Army for the adventure in 1988, when I was 17. However, it was the cama
