Tri-Service

Take To The Open Road

It’s going to be harder than ever to slide effortlessly back into civilian life. With the global economy under attack and nobody is fully protected.

Leaving the Army, Navy or RAF suddenly pitches you into a new battle. The fight for a good job.

On the bright side, the skills you’ve gained, and the experiences you’ve had provide a tremendous basis for a worthwhile career in civvy street. What they don’t give you is a free pass.

The important thing is that you’re not on your own. The MoD is strongly committed to resettlement, working closely with a number of organisations to maximise your talents. One of the best known and most respected of those organisations is The Open University.

A Road Well Trodden

It doesn't matter what rank, unit or trade you're coming from, the Open University can build on it. Basically, the OU can make you more attractive to a civilian employer.

Right now, more than 2,000 service personnel and their dependents are taking advantage of the special relationship between the Armed Forces and the OU - the one university that suits an income-earning lifestyle.

Take your pick from over 600 OU and Open University Business School courses and make the most of the cost, flexibility and quality advantages on offer.

If You’re Still Serving

If your eye is on where you want to be when you go back to being a civvy but you’re still in post, the sensible move is to make the most of the Ministry of Defence’s Enhanced Learning Credits scheme (www.enhancedlearningcredits.com).

This initiative promotes lifelong learning amongst members of the armed forces by granting financial support, based on length of service, towards the costs of personal or career development from approved suppliers like the OU.

The OU’s flexible distance learning format is ideal for those in the armed forces, as you’ll be able to work your studies around your shifts and postings with many courses drawing directly on the roles you have done or are doing.

Open road to teaching and business

For example, if you’re thinking about teaching, then studying for a BSc (Honours) in Sport, Fitness and Coaching with the OU can provide you with leadership and coaching skills that will enhance your career prospects.

The OU offers a modular programme that allows flexible patterns of study which can be completed in as little as 3 years, which will suit those whose circumstances prevent them from taking a traditional full-time course, with existing higher-level qualifications and experience all potentially reducing study time.

For the large number of service personnel with a leadership background the OU also offers undergraduate and postgraduate routes into a career in business.

The BA (Honours) in Business Management and our triple-accredited MBA are flexible, distance learning routes to qualifications that are respected by FTSE 100 companies such as KPMG, Rolls-Royce and Pfizer.

Open Road To Engineering Success

Engineering affects almost every part of our lives, and a qualification in this field can be your passport to a huge variety of rewarding careers.

Qualified engineers are in great demand globally, and are amongst the best-paid professionals. The OU’s cutting-edge engineering and technology courses enable you to explore how to design, engineer and manage situations where technology and people interact.

A wide-range of undergraduate engineering qualifications means that you can choose to study just one short course or you can complete a certificate, diploma, degree or work towards a masters (and chartered status).

The career options as a professional engineer are varied; in areas as diverse as communications, energy, health care, aerospace, civil or mechanical engineering.

Costs Of The Open Road

We keep our fees as low as possible and offer a wide range of flexible payment and funding options to make study even more affordable than you might think.

OU fees for new students is £5,572 per full-time equivalent course of study (120 credits). The amount you’ll pay each year will be determined by the credits you’re studying for. A typical student studying 60 credits in a year, will pay £2,786 per year.

You pay for each module separately as you study them and fees include OU course materials, tutor support, assessments, and exams.

To find out how The Open University could help you broaden your career horizons or be better equipped for civilian life, visit www.openuniversity.co.uk/armyandyou