A Military Energy Industry Awareness event was staged by East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) last week in a drive to encourage more ex-military personnel into the energy industry.  Ex-military speakers, currently working in the energy industry, described about their experiences leaving the services and their advice on how to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Military recruits are highly prized by oil and gas companies because of their skill levels and mental attitude.  Patrick Phelan, Managing Director of Aquaterra Energy said: “We are always interested to interview ex-military applicants, particularly for highly skilled engineering roles.  They are usually very disciplined in their approach and are used to following protocol with an attention to detail which is valuable in our industry.”

Kevin Atree, Operations Manager at Aquaterra Energy spent 27 years in the RAF before joining the industry.  He said: “As a chief technician in the air force I was dealing with much smaller equipment than I am now but the pressures and challenges of the roles have many similarities.  In both cases, as an engineer you see a problem or challenge and your job is to find a solution, adhering to strict procedures for testing and risk assessment.  The transition, therefore, from military to corporate life was easier than you might think.”