Teaching: The Perfect Career for Veterans?

After service in the armed forces, it can be difficult to find a career that rewards your skills and has the flexibility for you to adapt back to civilian life. Let’s explore why ex-service leavers are finding a career in teaching to be right for them.

Why Teaching?

Transferable Skills:

It’s possible you’ve already found your dedication to teaching; you just don’t know it! For example, working as a weapons instructor, teaching boxing or maintaining your regiment could give you a drive for education and/or sports. Army roles, such as PTI’s (Physical Training Instructors) could lead into a PE teaching role or teaching other fitness courses.

Flexible Work:

Work as a teacher can be on a temporary or permanent basis, along with opportunities to teach night classes for even shorter work hours (or as an extra job). If you are still readjusting your personal life and have other commitments, these temporary placements allow you to find work and purpose without challenging yourself with a full-time contract. If you are relocating after your time in the military, it's comforting to know there are education roles across the UK, so you’ll always be close to an opportunity!

Quieter Environments:

After the intensive activity of time in service, a classroom can make a peaceful workplace. Accompanied by students who look up to you, paperwork and calm lesson planning can make a nice change of pace.

Career Support:

The government provides free dedicated support from Teacher Training Advisers and often they are also ex-armed forces. As a veteran, you can contact an adviser with or without a degree. Their training advisers can be reached at 0800 389 2500.

Course Funding is Covered:

In the first five years of leaving the armed forces, you are entitled to a bursary (upwards of £40,000) towards an undergraduate degree for QTS (Qualified Teaching Status). You may also be eligible for FEHE (Further Education and Higher Education) or ELCS (Enhanced Learning Credits) funding, both are designed to help direct service leavers gain qualifications for education.

Consistent Hours and Pay:

Time in the army involves strict routines and lends itself well to the consistency of a teaching career. Starting each day at the same time and knowing exactly how your week will be scheduled can be comforting for those who are dealing with new experiences in their return to civilian life. Likewise, you can rely on a fixed income either week-to-week or month-to-month (depending on the contract you choose).

Discipline is Valued:

Discipline is a cornerstone of both military and educational environments. As a veteran, you can bring a well-honed sense of discipline and structure. This ability not only helps build respect from students and maintain a professional classroom environment but is also admired by education providers, increasing your employability.

Mentorship:

You may have felt mentored by leaders in your time serving or have had the option to mentor recruits. Even if you haven’t experienced this kind of relationship, you’ll soon take to the rewarding nature of working with students and influencing younger minds. Throughout each academic year, you’ll see the impact your teaching has made on other people. It’s often the case that Corporals or above have already gained experience mentoring which can translate well to an education career.

Teacher Pensions:

A very popular benefit of becoming a teacher is the unique pension schemes. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme includes an employer contribution of up to 28.6%.

What’s the First Step?

If you like the sound of a career in teaching, ensure you have the qualification you want to teach along with a verified DBS check. If you’re unsure about whether your qualifications achieved through military service meet the standard required, contact the course manager or our recruiters.

After gaining your qualification, the next steps are full of choices. Why not check out our article on the early career steps for Teachers?

At jjFOX we employ a number of veterans who can serve as your consultant and guide you through the job application process. For more information on what roles could be right for you, call our consultants at 0345 06 55 360.