Upskilling & Reskilling – Things to think about

Building on your existing skills, learning new skills and keeping up to date with the latest trends and technologies will ensure that you are valuable and employable, wherever your career journey and military life take you.

With these tips and ideas, we hope to help ensure that your upskilling and reskilling endeavours are a success when juggling work, family and military life.

 

What is your goal?

  • Think about what you are looking to get out of any training or education opportunity.
    • Do you want to go back to full-time or part-time education and have the chance to do A-levels or the degree you once dreamed of?
    • Is it to upskill and refresh in an area where you may feel rusty?
    • Are you looking to add a new skill to develop your CV or improve your promotion potential?
    • Or is this an opportunity for you to develop a hobby, or follow your curiosity and do something completely new?
  • Whatever your reason for considering a course – knowing why you want to do it, will help you to keep motivated and help you reach your goal.

 

Understand what will work for you and your family

  • Know your schedule: how it will fit with where, when and how you learn.
  • As a military partner, you may need to consider your service person’s schedule – will the military tempo of their role keep them away from home and mean they are unable to help with family life (school/nursery times for example).
  • Be realistic with what you can commit to: will your training or education be impacted if you find yourself flying solo during a deployment/exercise?

 

What type of upskilling will work for you?

  • Do you want to do an online course, or does being in a classroom work better for you?
  • Do you want to be committing to set lesson times each week, or would you prefer a flexible self-study course?
  • Do you want to gain a recognised qualification or professional certification for your efforts? Or is it more about what you will learn through your studies?
  • Do you need the course to be local, or could you travel for the right course?
  • If it is an online course, do you have access to a laptop (if required) and is your broadband good enough?

 

Think about the time any training will take

  • Considering the length of any course, and the weekly time commitment required to complete it, are key.
  • As a military partner, you also need to think about whether you will be able to finish your training while you are in your current location.
  • If not, what are your options? Is the course flexible or online so that you can do it wherever you go?
  • Think about a plan of action, to complete, pause or transfer your studies, should you need to.

 

What about the costs?

Most courses cost money – some more than others. So, it is important that you consider the finances.

  • What is the cost of the course? Can you afford it? If not, is there an alternative way to achieve your goal? Can you save up for the course, or find a way to make it work?
  • Is a payment plan available, or do you need to pay upfront?
  • Is there funding available? Check out our funding page for info and ideas.
  • Can you afford any financial loss if you are posted, and unable to complete your studies?
  • If you view your upskilling journey as an investment, then you can work out if the cost is worth the ‘return’. Will it mean you can get a better paid job or a promotion for example.
  • Will you need to pay for childcare?

 

Employer support

  • Will your employer give you time off to do your studies? Is this paid or unpaid?
  • Will they fund all or part of your training?
  • If your employer does fund your course, then be sure you understand the terms of your training contract, particularly any repayment clause.

 

Find your balance

  • Everyone’s work-life balance looks different, and it can be difficult for many to find and maintain, even without the curve balls of military life!
  • Ensure that you set boundaries that allow you to successfully complete your training, while maintaining your mental and physical wellbeing.
  • As you work to gain your additional skills or qualifications, find your rhythm and remember to make time for the things that matter most to you, personally and professionally.