Part Time Professional Development through the Defence Forces
The Reserve Defence Forces are primarily engaged in training. In conjunction with your education or occupation, Defence Forces training can compliment your path towards professional development. Often there are opportunities to participate in training or engage in the practice of executing the roles and responsibilities of management and leadership at varying levels and scales.
Below is a sample of the courses that Reservists have the opportunity to do:
Basic Training
After attestation, recruits undergo a syllabus of training that seek to develop core skills in teamwork, self-discipline and leadership. Completion of the course will qualify candidates as 2 Star Privates.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Marching | Synchronised Teamwork |
| Rifle Skill At Arms | Fine Motor Skill Development |
| Navigation | Self-reliance, reviewing drawings, understanding graphical representation and how it applies to terrain. |
| Section Level Tactics | Working in a small team (9 people) under instruction in high tempo dynamic environments |
2 to 3 Star Training
In order to qualify at 3 Star level, Privates will need engage in continuation training which include but aren't limited to the following skills.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| General Purpose Machine Gun | Operation and Maintenance of Mechanical Tools |
| Combat First Aid | Occupational First Aid |
| Platoon Level Tactics | Medium Sized Teamwork (30 people) in high tempo operating environment. |
| Public Order Training | Resilience and operating under stress |
Potential Non Commissioned Officer
Normally the first step up the Defence Forces career ladder, the Potential Non-Commissioned Officer's course is designed to teach the fundamentals of leadership.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Method of Instruction | Presentation skills - delivery, structure, format |
| Tactical Command of a Section | Lead and manage up to 8 people, responsible for welfare, training and development of team. |
| Mission Planning | Planning, preparing people and logistics prior to executing tasks under own autonomy. |
| Receiving and communicating orders | Understanding superior's intent, extracting respective tasks and formulating them into a bespoke brief for own team. |
Standard Non Commissioned Officer
To move from being a Junior to Senior Non Commissioned Officer, this course will prepare you for middle management..
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Platoon Management | Responsible for welfare, training and development of ~30 people |
| Logistical Planning | Understanding a superior's intent and autonomously procuring and requesting material for set tasks. |
| Stores Management | Accounting for corporate material movements and storage |
| Training and Mentorship | Subject matter expert in set disciplines and training coordinator |
Potential Commissioned Officer
Becoming a Commissioned Officer is the first step on the Defence Forces' executive ladder. This course is an opportunity to be trained by Ireland's premier school of leadership.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Platoon Leader | Leading a team of ~30 people through high tempo operations |
| Mission Planning and Execution | Understanding superior's intent, developing and preparing detailed plans and articulating same to team(s). |
| Training Programme Management | Cultivating the team's skills, setting training objectives and deliverables. |
| Receiving and Delivering Instruction | Active listening, public speaking, presentation skills. |
Basic Reconnaissance
Military planning is built on intelligence and intelligence is in part gathered through reconnaissance. Test your mettle and advance your infantry skills with this course.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Advanced Navigation | Map reading, route planning, orientation |
| Small Team Tactics | Closely working in sync with 4-5 people to achieve common goal |
| Physical Endurance | Physical fitness and mental resilience |
| Observation and Reporting | Absorbing, recollecting and reporting activities in technical reports for superior executive consumption. |
Driving Course (4x4 + trailer)
Develop your driving skills and broaden the categories on your driving licence through the Defence Forces.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| First Line Vehicle Inspection | Mechanical safety awareness |
| Passenger and Cargo Safety | Responsible for lives and property in transit |
| All Terrain Driving | Adapting machine operating methods to the environment |
| Administration | Log keeping, reporting and processing paperwork. |
Regimental Signaller
Communication is the glue that binds military operations together. Learn how to establish and maintain communications in a hostile environment.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Deploying combat network radio systems | Operating and maintaining telecommunication equipment. |
| Voice procedure | Procedure based effective and efficient communication skills |
| Network controller | Managing remote field assets, escalation procedures, routine administration and reporting. |
| Electronic Warfare | Understanding and adapting to the changes of a contentious working environment. Technical troubleshooting. |
Physical Training Leader
Lead, develop and inspire our troops as a Physical Training Leader. Whether it's lifting weights in the gym or logs on the beach, here you'll learn to bring out the best in yourself and others.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Troop wellbeing | Gauging the capability of the class and adapting the lesson to the benefits of all students |
| Physical Fitness Programs | Preparing bespoke training programs for groups and individuals based on set needs of same or the company. |
| Safe Conduct of Training | Conduct of risk assessments, risk mitigation, adhering to safety best practice. |
| Lesson Planning and Delivery | Time management, presenting to a set format, delivering incremental levels of training. |
Specialist Instructor Course
Training the trainers, this course harmonises how instruction is delivered across to the Defence Forces and according to best practice.
Military Skills | Transferable Skills |
| Mentoring and Coaching | Building a trust based relationship that promotes professional and personal development. |
| Supervision of Learning | Adult learning methodologies, performance analysis and feedback |
| Method of Instruction | Presentation skills - delivery, structure, format |
| Assesment and Quality Control | Defining quantifiable metrics for success and supporting the achievement of set goals. |
