All about TechVets

RFEA recently announced the expansion of the services they provide via their well-established and hugely successful Families Programme. This means, they are now able to offer even more employment opportunities to military spouses & partners, as well as their families. I grabbed the opportunity to catch up with James Murphy, CEO of TechVets, and Lee Johnston and Kristy MacLeod from RFEA to find out more about this exciting addition ‘to the family’.

So, what’s new?

The Programme is now able to help those interested in pursuing careers in information

technology, including cyber security through RFEA’s highly-acclaimed and equally successful TechVets Programme.

TechVets is now providing their support to the Families Programme, opening up this fantastic upskilling opportunity to military spouses & partners, and their families, as well.

Some Background

TechVets was set up to help veterans, service leavers, and reservists get into careers in tech and cyber security, aiming to capitalize on the skills many acquire during their military service. The Programme has been highly successful, and achieved some great results to date.

With RFEA considered the number one Forces Employment Charity, it seemed a natural and logical step to join forces with them – this partnership would guarantee all participants in the TechVets Programme a holistic experience to finding a new career and job!

TechVets will now be supporting the RFEA’s Families Programme.

So, what does TechVets offer?

There are 3 stages to the Programme:

1. Community

This is an online community that serves multiple functions. Firstly, it allows members to take their first steps into and explore the world of information technology, including career choices and job opportunities. More importantly, it allows them to work out if this is the right career path for them.

But the community does more than that.

It also allows members to share their expertise, exchange ideas and experiences, in short, learn from and support each other on a peer to peer basis - so a peer-to-peer support group if you will.

You’ll find a range of technical knowledge and expertise, from beginners through to advanced, and you’ll be joining a community that is 3,000+ strong and growing. And the beauty of it is, it practically runs off its own steam, with members taking full ownership.

2. Training

Once you’ve decided what path you wish to go down, the next step is training.

Training delivery options vary from self-study, to online courses, to open source resources, to coaching & mentoring, and physical training with fully accredited, professional training providers – TechVets works with a wide range of providers, all of whom provide their services to the Armed Forces Community free of charge, allowing you to benefit from some top-class training at zero cost, and achieve an accredited qualification in an array of technical careers.

Training can range from simple to sophisticated, depending on your needs, so starting with IT basics such as Microsoft Office Package, rising to more advanced, specialist training such as Cyber Security or Splunk Advanced Power User, something used by many leading companies around the globe. A full list is available on the TechVets website.

The whole training ethos of TechVets is that you achieve a good grounding in tech, so master the fundamentals, free of charge before you embark on more specialist training that often requires a higher financial investment. They want you to be sure this is the career for you BEFORE you put your money on the table! The aim is to teach you to solve problems and not just pass exams!

3. Employment Support

And of course, once you have acquired the desired level of skills – you never stop learning in this fast-paced industry – the next and final step in the process is to find a job.

This is where the partnership with RFEA really comes into play, because now you benefit from their skills, experiences and connections as well. Essentially, you’re getting specialist technical and employment support, all at the same time:

• Firstly, you’ll be assigned a dedicated advisor within RFEA, who will support you on your journey into employment, and ‘hold your hand’ from beginning to end, so up until the point when you sign a contract with your future employer.

• You’ll also get a full CV review to make sure you are ‘selling’ yourself correctly, and profiling your skills and expertise in a way that makes you attractive to prospective employers.

• They also offer a CV distribution service - your CV will be distributed to 277 Crest-accredited companies (CREST is an international not-for-profit accreditation and certification body that represents and supports the technical information security market). Organisations range from large FTSE 100 companies to boutique consultancies.

• You’ll also get access to a range of industry events, including workshops and webinars to support your networking efforts and to give you direct exposure to hiring managers and employers.

• And finally, they offer a Jobs Board, where new job opportunities are added weekly from companies keen to offer jobs to the Armed Forces Community.

How does it work?

To access the TechVets Programme, you simply need to register with the RFEA Families Programme.

What makes careers in information technology so appealing, especially to military spouses & partners?

Very often, and particularly since Covid19, many roles in tech offer flexible working options, sometimes fully remote, sometimes a hybrid of office-based and home-working.

Many tech-based companies focus more on output than on visibility, and are happy for you to work when you are most productive – so early birds or night owls, it doesn’t really matter to them, as long as you get the work done – just a question of negotiating the right terms and conditions for you at point of offer and before you sign the contract! And of course, some companies offer 24-hour services, so offering flexible work patterns is integral to the way they operate anyway.

What sort of career paths are we talking about when we say ‘tech’?

• Digital Marketing

• IT Programme Management

• Software Development

• Data Analysis

• Web Development

• Computer Support

• Network & Systems Support

• System Architecture

What sort of career paths are we talking about when we say ‘cyber?

• Threat Intelligence Analysis

• Security Analysis

• Intrusion Analysis

• Network Security

What sort of soft skills are needed for careers in tech or cyber?

Again, there are many, but here the ones that tend to feature at the top of recruiters lists or on Job Descriptions:

• The ability to problem-solve

• Ability to think logically

• Ability to work collaboratively, a team player

• Time management – many tasks are time-specific

• Growth mindset – a willingness to learn because you never stop learning in tech

• Empathy – being able to view things from different perspectives to get the best solution

• Creativity and innovation

• Adaptability – working environments and product needs are constantly changing.

My final words to you

The opportunities in information technology are endless. So, if you love problem-solving or doing puzzles, have a logical brain and are prepared to work hard, then this might be an option for you.

TechVets is a fantastic programme, and the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to explore the world of tech and cyber security, and of course, you are in the safe hands of RFEA Advisors. What could go wrong?

• To find out more about what RFEA does, read our blog here.

• To get in touch with RFEA go to https://www.rfea.org.uk/

• To find out more about TechVets and to register go to https://techvets.co/about-us/