Some will recognise the name as being the second half of the RAF motto, “Per ardua ad astra” – literally ‘Through difficulties to the stars”. Given that you have to call yourself something, I chose something to do with the RAF, reflecting that once upon a time, I was ‘something to do with the RAF!’
The information on this page contains a lot of personal detail which many may find boring and if that includes you, please skip to the link to see my CV and the other information provided to inform. If you are interested in my background and experience, please click on Overview below:
Overview
This page details how I became a trainer – if easily bored, please jump to the CV information below! View CV
My formal entry into the role of trainer began in 1983 when I was posted to No 6 Flying Training School at RAF Finningley near Doncaster. After the RAF’s two week ‘Train the Trainer’ course, I was let loose on the unsuspecting young men who were keen to serve as aircrew in the RAF. I had by then served nine years as an Air Electronics Operator on the Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft as a Communications, RADAR and Electronic Warfare specialist and had asked to be transferred to training duties. My role initially was to train the ab-initio aircrew in the air but later I moved one stage earlier in the process and trained them prior to the airborne phase of their course. After eight successful and very enjoyable years in the training role, I decided to stay rather than return to operational flying and was commissioned as an Admin Education Officer in 1990. Following a year off to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, I was posted to RAF Cosford where initially, I taught advanced electronics to apprentice technicians before moving into training management and training resourcing roles.
In 1995 I was posted to the RAF’s internal training consultancy organisation where my role was twofold: firstly the delivery of training to the RAF’s training designers and training managers and secondly to fulfil the requirement to meet the needs of any training element within the RAF that was experiencing problems that our specific expertise could assist with. This trouble-shooting role was perhaps the most interesting training role within the RAF – it was certainly challenging and very satisfying. Having enjoyed my two years at RAF Halton, I returned to RAF Cosford in 1997 and the following spring was promoted to Squadron Leader and tasked to lead the project to introduce distance learning into aircraft engineering training. That project was achieved under budget, ahead of schedule and to a quality that saw RAF Cosford win a Quality Award from the British Association for Open Learning.
Whilst in this post, I was also tasked with creating what became Personal Development Squadron at the RAF’s largest training unit expanding my role to include oversight of all aspects of personal development for military and civilian personnel. It was during this phase of my service that I developed the training programme for ‘Leadership, Team and Personal Development’ using the Strength Deployment Inventory about which you can read more elsewhere. This programme saw me co-designing and co-delivering a series of 30 three day courses for both military and civilian personnel at RAF Cosford that resulted in significant improvements in the unit’s overall performance as measured by the European Foundation for Quality Management Assessment process process.
In July 2001 after almost 28 years in uniform, I retired from the RAF to establish myself as a freelance trainer – a move that I have never regretted for a moment! While I had enjoyed a marvellous career in the RAF, the time was right for me to leave and seek the challenges of being a civilian trainer.
Since venturing forth into ‘civvie street’, I have enjoyed working with a diverse range of organisations and an even more diverse range of people. My clients have been individuals, organisations large and small, public and private sector, at home and in the Gulf States. Please see the ‘Clients’ page for more information.
CV
Formal CV of Paul Brennan. The CV is also available for download as a PDF document.
Download a PDF version of the CV
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