Can I join Reserves Royal Engineers as an officer and still get an artisan trade?

[Silken]

I want to be a chippy but lead other construction trades. I would also like to do combat engineering stuff from a leading perspective too. But carpentry is where my heart is. I'm about 2 months in to a level 2 carpentry apprenticeship at the moment, with just under a year's construction experience, aged 27. And I'm finding civvy companies really don't want to invest the money in me to let me **** up to get good at it. If I can join the reserves AND be a chippy AND a leader, I would be winnnnning. Can it be done?

 

[Effendi]

Meh. You could qualify as a chippy, and then join as an officer if you have the right qualification levels. You would not be working as a chippy as an officer though. The lads would be happy following someone if they know the bloke can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

You should look at also doing a higher level qualification in construction management if you can squeeze it in. I'm a qualified plumber, and trust me when I tell you that you reach a point when things start to hurt a bit more than you expected and you wish you had a management qualification so that you are not on your knees on a cold site at sparrow fart anymore.