Industry insights - Armed forces and emergency services
The armed forces and emergency services sectors continue to include some of the largest employers within the UK job market, despite cuts in public sector jobs. They recruit a wide variety of graduates each year.
Armed forces recruitment has expanded over the last three years although cuts in the defence budget in 2010 look likely to reverse that trend. There is however continued demand for skilled personnel, particularly in skill shortage areas such as medical services, logistics and engineering.
Recruitment in the emergency services varies according to individual services' needs. There are a wide range of roles that cover most academic disciplines.
The armed forces of the United Kingdom include the Army, the Royal Navy (which includes the Royal Marines) and the Royal Air Force (RAF). Their prime task is to defend Britain, Britain's interests and Britain's dependencies.
There are over 75 job types represented in the forces, including:
The emergency services also cover a wide range of careers. Roles can be found in:
Roles are also available in the emergency services in areas such as health and safety, HR, administration, finance, media and public relations.
Emergency planning is a growing sub-sector of emergency services. Emergency planners liaise with all services and co-ordinate their actions in the event of an emergency.
Lean management/project management are also becoming increasingly large areas of work as the economic climate is having a large impact across the public sector.
There are wide ranging opportunities throughout the UK. There are also numerous opportunities abroad, in particular for the armed forces, who are deployed in various countries around the world.
The following profiles are examples of key jobs that exist in the armed forces and emergency services sectors. To find the job roles that best match your skills and interests, login to what jobs would suit me?
For even more career ideas, take a look at types of jobs.
The armed forces recruit year-round. To find vacancies, visit:
For job vacancies in the ambulance service, see:
Vacancies in the fire and rescue service can be found at:
Some services have a graduate scheme for firefighters.
For the police service, see Police officer for a full list of contacts and resources. Graduates may be eligible to join the high potential development (HPD) scheme.
Coastguard vacancies are normally advertised on an ad-hoc basis; check the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and local and national press.
Emergency planning officers should check the following for jobs:
The majority of jobs in the armed forces and emergency services sector are open to graduates of all disciplines, although in some posts a specific degree subject is required.
The skills and entry requirements employers look for vary and depend on the nature of the job. See job roles for more details.
Generally, the skills that employers in this sector desire include:
In the case of the ambulance service, excellent driving skills are required, with between one and two years’ driving experience.
Pre-entry experience is not essential, although it is advantageous to have experience working with individuals or groups in the community. Training with cadet forces, University Officers Training Corps (UOTC), University Royal Navy Units (URNUs), University Air Squadrons (UAS) or the Territorial Army (TA) help with entry into the armed forces.
Useful pre-entry experience can be picked up in a variety of settings and may include:
There are three armed forces employers - the Army, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy, which includes the Royal Marines. Officers might also work at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or they could be deployed on United Nations (UN) operations or as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) force.
The armed forces currently need about 20,000 new recruits every year, including graduate officers.
Most ambulance staff work for the NHS. Other employers include the armed forces, overseas health departments and oil and gas exploration companies. There is also the option of working for private ambulance agencies for occasions such as sporting fixtures, major events or on film and TV sets.
Fire service recruitment is undertaken by individual fire and rescue services. Opportunities also exist with a small number of other employers, such as the British Airports Authority (BAA), which maintains fire brigades at seven major airports, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, less commonly, large industrial companies.
Some fire brigades, such as the London Fire Brigade, have carried out graduate recruitment schemes in the past and may do so again in the future.
Police force recruitment information may be found through the Police Recruitment site as well as individual police force sites. Other police employers include the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP).
Coastguards are employed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and are based within Marine Offices or Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres around the UK’s coastline.
Opportunities for emergency planning officers exist in a range of organisations, including local authorities, fire and rescue services, British Red Cross, police forces, the NHS and government bodies such as the Environment Agency (EA).
SMEs are organisations with less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of no more than £26million. Working for a smaller company can be rewarding because you are more likely to forge a path for yourself within the company, although opportunities to try other departments may be limited.
SMEs are unlikely to use the testing and assessment techniques of larger companies, or follow lengthy recruitment procedures. SMEs are more likely to advertise their vacancies through the local press, university careers service bulletins, local graduate vacancy listings, jobcentres, and word of mouth, rather than rely on their reputation and a presence at graduate recruitment fairs.
Careers services should have listings of jobs with small firms; see also the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
The majority of opportunities within the armed forces and emergency services sector are with large employers. Opportunities with SMEs in this sector are mainly found within private ambulance and fire services or in consultancies as an emergency planner.
Self-employment is becoming an increasingly popular option, particularly for ambulance and fire service staff, although this is still largely part time. Examples include working on a freelance basis for a private ambulance agency or fire service or setting up a private training company or consultancy.
Find out more about self-employment.
Many armed forces officers work in the UK, but there are also opportunities for prolonged periods abroad or on board ship. The armed forces are deployed at various locations around the world, in over 80 countries. They play a vital role in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid overseas. Representation ranges from single or small groups of military advisers to full operational deployments. The frequency and length of a posting depend on job and rank, varying from 4-6 months for an operational detachment to up to four years for a staff posting at a senior level.
There are opportunities for police officers to work abroad and there are numerous exchange visits with countries all around the world. Depending upon the role, some investigations also take officers abroad.
Overseas work or travel is less common in the ambulance and fire and rescue services, although opportunities do exist.
UK paramedics can find work abroad, mainly in the European Union (EU) countries, where EU directives mean that any professional who has undertaken a qualification of more than three years’ duration is automatically entitled to apply for vacancies in member states. For non-EU countries you would need to find out the requirements of the country you would like to work in, in order to be able to practise.
The armed forces take part in exercises overseas, for example, jungle training courses in Belize and training other armies, such as in Sierra Leone. The armed forces are currently involved in international security assistance in Afghanistan as well reconstruction and nation-building tasks there.
A number of exchange schemes operate with the US Army and there are also liaison and diplomatic posts in major US cities. Exercises with US Army personnel take place regularly at bases across America.
At present, British police officers are working in Iraq, the Balkans, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.
Voluntary organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the British Red Cross employ a wide range of ambulance staff and firefighters, as do the armed forces and also large companies and private healthcare companies who operate abroad.
Paramedics can also find work in the Gulf states, America, Canada and Commonwealth countries.
Most of the vacancies with VSO and the Red Cross are in Africa or South America.
Advances in science and technology are changing the way the sector operates. Examples include:
Science and technology will continue to play a key role and the need for graduates with specialist IT, communications and science skills is expected to increase.
A new Public Services Diploma became available from selected providers in September 2010, and will be offered by a wide range of providers to all 14 to 19 year olds in England from 2013. It will give students a way into a range of careers in the public sector, including central and local government, the health service, the armed forces, the emergency services, the justice system and voluntary organisations.
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