Armed Forces Talent

Case Study: Colin Moore

NW&C CAM Drainage Manager Colin Moore gives us an insight into his journey from the Armed Forces to QTS.

I joined the Army in 2010. I was in the Royal Artillery as a Forward Observer, doing Surveillance and Target Acquisition. Whilst serving I completed a number of qualifications including NVQ’s in IT & Telecoms and HGV licenses to assist with the Fire Support Team Role whilst on operations, which helped as we co-ordinated fire missions via radio comms to the guns, mortars and fast air when we were on the ground. During part of my service I was posted with a Royal Artillery TA unit, training and mentoring Fire Support Teams to assist them through their basic training and Forward Observer courses.

Whilst in between tours and exercises the Army helped me upskill my civvy qualifications starting right back to re-doing maths and English qualifications, as I didn’t leave school with the best grades. I got a start with QTS nearly seven years ago, through the qualifications and the transferable skills gained whilst serving. Since starting at QTS I have progressed through the ranks to Project Manager of the NW&C Drainage division. QTS have been great with helping me to continue to learn and progress with personal development, as I completed my C&G L5 Confined Space Management last year, and am currently in the middle of completing my NVQ L7 in Senior Construction Management.

Case Study: Andy Irving

Group Transport Manager

I joined in the Army at the age of 16 as a Junior Leader with the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Corps of Transport, in June 1976 after I completed 9 months service trade training at Taunton, Somerset. I left training to go on to full service still under 18 as a driver Class 3 with HGV 3 licence. In total I served nearly 16 years until a rugby injury causing a spinal operation ended my service career.

I travelled/posted to many locations around the world including Germany, Denmark, Belize, Canada and Cyprus with 3 Tours of Northern Ireland, that’s just a few of the places. After leaving the Army in May 1991, I started my own business in Chauffeur Cars which I sold up after about 10 years, I then moved up to Derbyshire looking at using my knowledge and qualifications to get back into HGV Transport Management.

After two transport manager roles with Derbyshire companies came to QTS in October 2013 opening the workshops at Langley Mill. After around five years in this role I then was given/moved to the role of transport manager which has been extremely challenging as we had a few little issues to solve with transport authorities which I’m pleased to say are all now looking to be moving in the right direction.

I can honestly say working at QTS has been a pleasure but has taken the wisdom of 46 years in transport to its maximum. I would hope that my career with QTS will carry on and take me into my retirement leaving QTS on the transport side as one of the most highly regarded Rail Contractors.

Case Study: Gary Burnett

Operations Director - England & Wales

I joined the Army in 2000 as a 16-year-old, initially joining the Adjutant Generals Corps before transferring to the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. I left the Army in 2006 and used my resettlement training to get my CPCS excavator, dumper and telehandler tickets.

I worked on civil engineering sites in Ireland as an operative before starting an HND in Building Production Technology whilst working a variety of part-time jobs. On completion of the HND, I got a job as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor for Birse Rail, a Balfour Beatty company, working on a Civil Engineering framework with Network Rail. Here I first met QTS who worked as a sub-contractor to Birse.

I left the rail industry for just under a year whilst I worked for Colas on a Highways Agency framework before joining QTS as a Quantity Surveyor. At QTS, I worked my way up through various positions and became Operations Director, covering Civil Engineering and Vegetation Management works in England & Wales, in 2018 at the age of 34.