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Military man lands new wind job thanks to AIS Survivex programme

A training programme to reskill former military personnel for the wind industry has helped army mechanic, Jack Taylor scoop a full-time renewables job with Correll Group.

Just four weeks after completing the AIS Survivex ‘Military to Wind’ training programme, which is part funded by Elcas, Jack landed his first wind role as a fibre-optic installer with Correll, the leading global specialists in offshore and onshore high-voltage cabling.

It’s a dream outcome for 29-year-old Jack from Barnsley, who decided to leave the army after having a baby with partner Kayleigh.

Jack explains:

“My partner Kayleigh also serves in the army so when we knew we were having a baby together we decided to rethink our life plan. Army life doesn’t work well with family life – especially with us both serving. We agreed the best option was for one of us to leave and pursue a different career.

“After a decade as a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), I felt ready to move on so it was me who opted for career change. Initially I toyed with working in the railway industry as this suited my skillset but when I found out more about the wind sector, it really sparked my interest. The wind industry is fast-growing and mechanical engineering skills are in high demand so it seemed like a great option.

“AIS Survivex offers Elcas-approved training so most of my course was paid for with funding. For the remaining cost, I took out interest-free finance with AIS Survivex, making it really affordable.”

Jack spent three weeks at AIS Survivex gaining all the relevant qualifications to work in the wind industry. Within a month of completing his training he secured a full-time job at Correll and is now waiting to mobilise to a wind project elsewhere in the world.

Jack continues:

“I feel incredibly lucky. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind - within just two months I’ve completely changed careers and am now looking forward to setting foot on my first wind turbine.

“The training experience at AIS Survivex was fantastic and really prepared me for my new role. As well as providing in-depth knowledge, the instructors were great and the food was out of this world! I can’t thank AIS Survivex and Correll Group enough for helping me to make this exciting life change.”

Geoff Briggs from Correll Group said:

“Former military personnel are perfect employees for Correll. They are renowned for being proactive, hard-working and able to think on their feet in often remote areas.

“We have an agreement in place with AIS Survivex to provide interview experience for military personnel coming through the ‘Military to Wind’ programme as we know both the quality of training and the calibre of candidates will be high. Jack Taylor was the perfect fit for us and we were delighted to offer him a full-time position with Correll. As well as all the base skills we look for, Jack had every industry-approved wind certificate we require so was ‘job-ready’. We wish him the very best of luck in his new role.”

Military to Wind

Over 43,000 workers needed for wind energy transition in the North East and Scotland.

With the number of people working in direct and indirect jobs in the UK’s offshore wind industry expected to rise significantly from 26,000 today to over 69,800 by 2026, now is the ideal time to break into this growth industry.

Start your Military to Wind journey with our ELCAS-approved Diploma in Safe Working Practice in the Wind Turbine Industry.

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* Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) COP26 report