Tech Re-Trading

[Foxtrot__Oscar]

Does anyone know anything about the possibility of a class 1 Tech re-trading? To be more exact re-badging!!

Is it a protected trade, whatever that is?

Any help would be useful.

 

[nips]

Does anyone know anything about the possibility of a class 1 Tech re-trading? To be more exact re-badging!!

Is it a protected trade, whatever that is?

Any help would be useful.

Where have you been for the last 2 years?

 

[Foxtrot__Oscar]

Bored out of my skull.

 

[PoisonDwarf]

I don't think Class 1 Sys Engr Tech is a protected or operational pinch-point trade. Therefore you're free to stick in that transfer request. Good luck. What you interested in going to?

 

[the_guru]

Helicopter Pilot is a good way out. Can you pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time?

 

[Foxtrot__Oscar]

I wouldn't mind going to the infantry but i reckon the careers blokey would laugh me outta his office.

 

[Is_the_link_in?]

Hmm take a pay drop and possibly lose a tape...

Good career move there mate!

 

[PoisonDwarf]

Hmm take a pay drop and possibly lose a tape...

I've seen guys up to full-screw transfer straight in and keep their rank before, but it depends on what skills they already had (e.g. PSBC, SCBC). You might be able to wangle a job as a Signal Platoon Bowman God and it could be an easy way of keeping your tapes. But if you actually want to do "mainstream" infantry i.e. work up through rifle section and beyond then you might have to drop down a rank or so. Unless you can offer them senior or junior brecon then you may struggle. In my experience, any time my unit got an ex-scaley then they always got posted to the Signal Platoon as they assume that all Royal Signals are CNR wizards and therefore your vocation within the unit is already chosen.

Getting the right Battalion is always important. Usually you have to pick your local mob, otherwise it's hard to escape the "outsider" tag. Find your 'local' Battalion i.e. the ones who share your accent and put in some sneaky moves to make contact. See if there are any rodneys from the regiment serving in your local Div/Bde and engineer a way to have a chat. Maybe they can have a word with the Adjt back at the Battalion and relay your chances from the horse's mouth. Just a thought.

 

[Lexx_valentine]

Surely R SIGNALS Technician is one of the best jobs in the army?
You do **** all for popstar wages..

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

Does anyone know anything about the possibility of a class 1 Tech re-trading? To be more exact re-badging!!

Is it a protected trade, whatever that is?

Any help would be useful.

You can do it, although whether the infantry will let you join them is another question. I know of a couple of T1s re-capbadging as we speak.

 

[Puma]

i've only ever seen it done the other way, there were gunners and infantry retrades on my class 3 at Catterick and they kept what ever rank they had at the time, usually they got jiffed to march the rest of the sqn round for RSM's parades on a Monday morning, which was nice

 

[chocolate_frog]

Keeping rank on transfer is never a given, it is always looked at on a case by case basis. I think it has a lot to do with what skills, experience and course (CLMs etc) you have. Retrades within a capbadge, generally, keep their rank, rebadging usually sees a down step, and every (that I have seen) cross service transfer usually sees a complete restart.

I may be wrong, but that is my experience.

What is actually wrong with being a tech? Bearing in mind you could possibly recapbadge to a similarly technical trade in another capbadge. Ie REME. Or just move to a unit that requires more military type skills.

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

What is actually wrong with being a tech?

With the new kit coming in (Cormorant, Bowman, Falcon (eventually)), it's turning into a bit of a shit job because your working day consists of filling in 1043s instead of actually fixing anything. Plus we're being amalgamated with the IS Engrs which isn't what most people joined as Techs to do.

 

[Is_the_link_in?]

Thats a fair point about the not being able to fix anything business. It seems your not allowed to open the kit to fix it because its been strategically designed to break at the most awkward moments, which thenhas to be sat in back loading stores across the corp to get fixed.

Mind you, would being a tech/is geek be all soo bad? Good quals for civvy street!

Considering techs fill in 1045's and 1033's when they fix kit anyway, is it such a drama? Even if you could fix the kit you would still have to do the paperwork! Just think of it as practise

Alternatively, do courses in specialised kit i.e Talon, LWRN and VTC. Jobs a good'un

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

Thats a fair point about the not being able to fix anything business. It seems your not allowed to open the kit to fix it because its been strategically designed to break at the most awkward moments, which thenhas to be sat in back loading stores across the corp to get fixed.

Mind you, would being a tech/is geek be all soo bad? Good quals for civvy street!

Considering techs fill in 1045's and 1033's when they fix kit anyway, is it such a drama? Even if you could fix the kit you would still have to do the paperwork! Just think of it as practise

Alternatively, do courses in specialised kit i.e Talon, LWRN and VTC. Jobs a good'un

I've done the Cormorant course and I'm waiting on the Bowman one and tech's still turning into a cack job. I've never seen our Talon techs fix anything other than the occasional coax either. Ditto with LWRN and VTC.

The amalgamation probably will be good quals for civvie strasse, it may even improve the job a bit. It's still not a hand on fixing kit job that most of us joined up to do.

 

[PoisonDwarf]

With the new kit coming in (Cormorant, Bowman, Falcon (eventually)), it's turning into a bit of a shit job because your working day consists of filling in 1043s instead of actually fixing anything. Plus we're being amalgamated with the IS Engrs which isn't what most people joined as Techs to do.

Whether you agree with it or not, apparently it's too expensive for us to fix COTS stuff and it works out cheaper to buy new bits. That means the trade you joined has already changed and that's why the trades are merging - because a lot of "what most people joined as Techs to do" has already become obsolete. That's life. There's nothing we (the Army) have done wrong, it's just been driven by the technology revolution in civvy street. If you want to specifically work as a repair technician then maybe REME's the way forward. If you want to be an ICT Network or Systems Engineer then R Signals all the way. I very much doubt you're going to be forced into doing a pure IT job against your will, as there will always be enough task to go around in such a loose pool of requirements. Then again, having heard a lot of news on Falcon and DII/F I reckon there's a LOT to be thrashed out yet.

Interesting point about paperwork though. I'm sure there are loads of people would agree with you.

 

[chocolate_frog]

There will always be an element of teching involved.

YOU are the solution finder, the bloke who gets the kit talking, even through several bodge boxes and across continents and space.

OK, so you don't get to go in and fix to component level, but I have news for you. NO ONE does that anymore. I am sure had their been an ARRSE in the 70's Techs would have been saying, "Bloody ICs and board bashing, it's not like the old days when we used to change valves".

You may not ahve to open up and find the fault, but as the technology gets smaller, a human ain't going to be able to do that.

I have to admit that I haven't fixed a bit of kit to component level for a good 8 years now. But I have still enjoyed my job, watching the 501 drop in and the mux link LEDs go green - comms are go.

Or inventing bodge boxes to allow comms to be sent over links not originally invisaged.

Can I ask what unit you are at?

I only ask to figure what kind of job you are doing.

Have you thought of a posting?

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

Can I ask what unit you are at?

PM sent

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

Whether you agree with it or not, apparently it's too expensive for us to fix COTS stuff and it works out cheaper to buy new bits. That means the trade you joined has already changed and that's why the trades are merging - because a lot of "what most people joined as Techs to do" has already become obsolete.

I know, just having a general moan. It's a shame the more interesting parts of the trade are going though.

I don't think I'll be getting any new trade anyway, I'm already a T1 and from what I've been told we won't be getting any training for this new trade.

 

[PoisonDwarf]

I don't think I'll be getting any new trade anyway, I'm already a T1 and from what I've been told we won't be getting any training for this new trade.

There's a shock!