Abstract:

The Irish Defence Forces employs 9,500 personnel. Approximately 3,139 of that number are Non- Commissioned Officers (NCOs) who have changed career paths into civilian roles between the years 2000-2015. Many of these individuals have found the transition from a military career to a civilian career challenging. One of the most pertinent challenges has been the lack of any appreciation for the range of transferrable skills that are gained by NCOs during their military careers.

This paper aims to identify what transferrable skills contribute to the transition from a military career to a civilian career. In so doing, it will also consider some broader research objectives, including the identification of the obvious soft skills, that are readily transferable from a military context to a professional civilian career; the evaluation of the military skills that are readily transferrable from a military career to civilian context that are less obvious; an examination of some skills that employers might find useful from former military personnel and an evaluation and examination of the preparation that the Defence Forces undertakes prior to the departure of a cohort of NCOs.

A review of the relevant literature on learning styles, Defence Forces recruitment processes, Defence Force rank structure, career transitions, and career development reveals a myriad of factors that influence the gap in knowledge regarding the transferrable skills gained by NCOs when they retire from their military careers to pursue civilian careers.

The methodology consists of a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with key personnel who previously served in the Irish Defence Forces. The findings indicate that the range of transferrable skills gained in a military career have important and timely relevance to careers in a civilian context.

In conclusion, the large numbers of people moving from a military career into a civilian career have a range of useful transferable skills. A little investment and attention on part of the Defence Forces could make an enormous contribution to the employability and successful transition of NCOs who leave each year to pursue civilian careers.

Keywords:

Military, career transitions, civilian career.