RAF and Royal Navy to receive ‘Civvy Street’ recognition

17 October 2008 – Airmen and Sailors across the RAF and Royal Navy will soon have an opportunity to develop and showcase the business skills necessary for successful careers in civilian life.  Through a new partnership between the MoD and Chartered Management Institute up to 6,000 British military personnel, each year, will now have access to qualifications and courses that are recognised and sought by UK employers.

The partnership, announced today, means that the RAF and Royal Navy’s Initial Officer Training and NCO Management and Leadership courses will be linked to the same National Standards met by the UK’s civilian population.  The courses cover more than 30 areas of training, ranging from change management and team leadership to operational management.

By accrediting the RAF and Royal Navy’s programmes, the Chartered Management Institute will enable junior and senior level military staff to achieve qualifications spanning NVQs through to Diplomas in Strategic Management and Leadership – the latter, equivalent to post-graduate degrees.  Assessment will be through work-based assignments and successful candidates can expect to take between 6 - 12 months to complete their chosen course.

By securing ‘Civvy Street’ accreditation, the RAF and Royal Navy have demonstrated their continued commitment to developing the long-term careers of their Airmen and Sailors.  Accreditation means that military personnel who end their service earlier than planned through, for example, disability (war wounds) or voluntary retirement, will be able to continue to ‘top up’ their management qualifications from the exact point they had reached before they left the service.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, says: "By providing the opportunity to develop management and leadership skills in a way that is recognised outside military environments, the MoD will be equipping Airmen and Sailors to succeed both in Service and in Civvy Street.  The partnership offers military personnel an opportunity to achieve qualifications through continuous professional development, allowing them to focus on specific areas of interest or build on previous achievements.”

As a result of the partnership, Royal Navy and RAF colleges in 5 areas will become Institute Approved Centres, allowing them to deliver accredited programmes to candidates (BRNC Dartmouth, CTCRM Lympstone, RAFC Cranwell, ACS Halton, HMS Collingwood). These Centres will have to conform to the Institute’s Quality Assurance Processes and comply with the National Standards for Management and Leadership.

Squadron Leader Doug Bain, Head of Accreditation at HQ 22 (Training) Group RAF says:   “The initial course approval to gain the Chartered Management Institute’s accreditation is rigorous but worthwhile.  The institute has a good understanding of the requirements of employer-delivered military training.  We know that the Chartered Management Institute will provide high-quality accreditation opportunities for our students in a very time effective and cost-effective manner.”

The partnership comes into effect immediately and follows the Chartered Management Institute’s work with the Army – a programme which led to 3,800 qualifications for Armed Forces personnel in 2007.

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Further information:

Mike Petrook, Institute Press Office

Tel: 020 7497 0496; outside office hours: 07931 302 877

Email: press.office@managers.org.uk

Website: www.managers.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

As the champion of management, the Chartered Management Institute shapes and supports the managers of tomorrow, helping them deliver results in a dynamic world. The Institute helps set and raise standards in management, encouraging development to improve performance. Moreover, with in-depth research and regular policy surveys of its 81,000 individual members and 450 corporate members, the Institute has a deep understanding of the key issues.  The Chartered Management Institute came into being on 1 April 2002, as a result of the Institute of Management being granted a Royal Charter.