TRAINING & EDUCATION

PDFREMA – Pathways to Higher Education upon Retirement.

Leaving the Defence Forces

Upon leaving the Defence Forces accredited recognition of your unique military skill set is vital when seeking to engage in future employment. The aim of this website is to provide you with educational opportunities to assist you in gaining the most advantageous jobs to suit your lifestyle.

There are numerous educational pathways of all levels available to retirees upon leaving the Defence Forces, most courses are accessible via online or part-time via engagements of evening and night classes over the course of 1 academic year, September to the following May across multiple educational centers throughout the country. Some courses carry a fee which can be paid for in stages while other micro-courses are free.

In the lead up to retirement most enlisted personnel should now have engaged with,

The Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Management and Defence studies programme (BALMDS) introduced on the 12 September 2012, is a collaboration with the Defence Forces and the South-East technical University (SETU) catering for enlisted personnel from level 6 Higher Certificate Potential NCOs course, Certificate minor award level 7 All Arms Standard Course, to BAs in leadership management Senior Course and leadership management logistics, Senior Logistics.

This initiative has provided retired personnel the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised accredited award while in service.

If you have been a recipient of this award, you now can seek other employment across the public and private sector such as entry into the fire service, guards and prison service or depending on the level of your award into personnel management and administration or logistical based employment.

Springboard +

https://springboardcourses.ie/

Or you could continue in education to enhance your award via accessing Springboard + initiative set up by the government since the crash of 2008 and is funded by the EU to, re- skill employees who’d lost their jobs at that time.

This provides a list of third level educational courses that are 90% funded by the state for employees or retirees who wish to up-skill or re-skill to meet current desirable skill sets in the workplace. There are terms and conditions which apply to an application, so it is important to read the eligibility section when applying.

There is a large menu of courses run by Higher Educational Institutes throughout the country, please note, depending on the course that you pick will decide the HEI location.

Applications generally run from June to December depending on the course difficulty and content.

You will first need to register with springboard + from there you will be directed to select your course and HEI location who will contact you via their lifelong learning office and request you complete a Recognition of Prior learning (RPL) linked to the course you have selected.

This document is designed to capture your experiential learning from your previous career, where you would demonstrate that you have gained sufficient knowledge and have demonstrated your ability to operate successfully in a complex and demanding environment during your career.

SETU CARLOW

SETU Carlow

https://www.setu.ie/study/part-time-study/extended-campus

SETU Carlow is the leader in the provision of many other courses, such as, logistics, business management, administration, event control management and many others to serving and retired members of the Defence Forces due to its collaboration on the BALMDS Programme.

SETU Carlow has a clear understanding of the accreditation value of military courses and can design courses that acknowledge this to suit military personnel such as for example, the RPL programme which was designed to cater for retired members who missed out on gaining their BA while in service, this programme has been highly successful for all the students who completed this course.

At this HEI, depending on the interest, there is flexibility for courses to be designed around your needs and military skill sets.

Recognition of Prior learning Programme (RPL)

contact email, registrar@defenceforces.ie

This Programme was designed to afford the opportunity to retiring sergeants and senior NCOs and veterans who missed out on the chance to gain an accredited award due to the start date of the BALMDS programme.

Applications for the RPL programme are open from May with induction starting in September at SETU Carlow, course ends in July, with conferring with all other military BALMDS award recipients in November.

There are three categories of award, minor award level 7 certificate for Sergeants,

BA for Company Sergeants and Sergeant Majors Level 7 and BA for Company Quartermaster Sergeants and Barrack Quartermaster Sergeants.

The Defence forces Registrar’s office administrates this programme initially, SETU Carlow conducts the course for the students.

Qualifax

https://www.qualifax.ie/resources/further-education-and-training

Another worthwhile website to check out is Qualifax, which is a database for further education courses and Apprentices from which you find out how to gain access to various disciplines.

https://apprenticeship.ie/career-seekers/get-started/discover

Educational Training Boards

https://www.etbi.ie/etbs/directory-of-etbs/

ETBs are active in local communities through the direct provision of training and education programmes delivered in training centers, colleges and other training and educational settings. In this way, ETBs seek to make a real difference to the lives of the people they serve. Such responsiveness continues to be the hallmark of the education and training boards sector, looking outward nationally and internationally, while servicing education and training locally and individually. Further Education and Training Centers, which are linked to ETB’s deliver this training.

Skillnet

https://www.skillnetireland.ie/life-long-learning

This is connected to lifelong learning while in employment, your company must be registered with skillnet Ireland to take advantage of increasing your skill set while on the job.

Microcreds

https://microcreds.ie/for-learners

This scheme is designed to enable employees learn new skills and at the same time gain accredited educational credits in bite-size courses over short durations, micro-credits can be used as building blocks to achieve higher awards on the National Framework of Qualifications.

This also provides for the ability to advance in your job through promotion.

National Framework Of Qualifications

what are they and what do they mean?

https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/national-framework-of-qualifications

Individuals: It provides an understanding of a qualification and can help individuals compare qualifications.

Learners: It provides a pathway for progression through education and training.

Employers: It provides a resource for employers to learn more about the qualifications their employees have obtained. The levels are also used as a recruitment tool.

Education & Training providers: It provides for clear identification of qualifications achieved by applicants and may help with credit transfer between programmes and accessing new or additional programmes by the recognition of prior learning.

R.E.M.A.

Established to represent PDF Enlisted
Personnel on Pensions & Related Matters.

PMAS

Supporting Injured PDForra Members
Offering our members the best in Private
Health Care.

PDFORRA

Working on behalf of all
all our members.

DEFENCE FORCES

We are proud to represent our
retired enlisted members.

ANSAC

Working with serving
& retired Enlisted Personnel.