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FTRS

Reservist-Monkey

Reservist-Monkey

War Hero
I am be opening myself to attack here, but I was having a chat with an oppo of mine recently, cute burd but I've no chance, anyway...

We were talking about some of the hassle involved in FTRS, most of which seemed to be randomly generated by a certain office, run by a certain senior officer, who seemed to be unable to find jobs for anyone but a select few mates, and even then contracts, usually on the wrong commitment level are invariably late.

Well that's only the buzz I have been getting.

M(R)
 
I sent my CV in to said office a few years ago when I was considering going FTRS. Was put forward for a job and was told I needed to go for an interview, which was no problem. Pitched up for the interview only to find out during the course of the interview that I was totally unsuitable and unqualified for the role. As a result, didn't get the job. All in all a rather annoying and demoralising experience.
 
There have been other examples of this that I won't post for so many reasons.

What's the way forward do you think?

I am not sure FTRS as it currently stands provides the navy with the best value. I will pause now in case I the hounds are being released.
 
Reservist-Monkey said:
There have been other examples of this that I won't post for so many reasons.

What's the way forward do you think?

I am not sure FTRS as it currently stands provides the navy with the best value. I will pause now in case I the hounds are being released.
Click to expand...

Care to expand on the "value " comment?
 
Well, it covers a few areas

1. Imagine you were a long serving rating considering a 2OE, and you think, well I have done my time at sea, it would be nice to get a cushty job at say Sandquay or Jupiter Point (not picking on the seaman specs, just great places to work) and some bloody FTRS RNR has nicked the job. Are you going to do that 2OE or are you going to sod off outside?

2. You’re senior officery type about to deploy a bunch of people to the next war and you find that you can’t send a number of them because they are on home commitment. I am sure there are loads of people in the RN who would love to be guaranteed not to be send off somewhere.

3. CinCFleet, when he was 2SL was keen to talk about the flexible navy, allowing career breaks etc., I am sure the vast majority of people would agree to this but it hardly seems fair that the reservists on FTRS, especially LC/HC are effectively tied down (not always their choice) and cannot be readily deployed since it is not in their terms and conditions.

So what I am saying I suppose is that those kind of jobs tie up some fairly decent billets and they do not present the fleet with the best and most flexible options.

What would I do? FTRS would cease to be. You would join the RN on a fixed term contract and as part of the regular service you could be sent anywhere they can. On completion of the contract they can return to the part time service or be fully incorporated for a longer period, maybe an additional five years.

There are people out there in FTRS jobs who get it right; there are those who have willing put themselves in harms way. They’re not the people with whom I have an issue, it’s the ones who’ve been sitting on their fat shiny butts at various desks for many years coasting along that are ruining the system.

I will standby for incoming!

M(R)
 
Reservist-Monkey said:
........What would I do? FTRS would cease to be. You would join the RN on a fixed term contract and as part of the regular service you could be sent anywhere they can. On completion of the contract they can return to the part time service or be fully incorporated for a longer period, maybe an additional five years..........
Click to expand...

Is this not part of the grand plan? The option to choose your level of service as family commitments etc. dictate, in particular to allow regulars the option to take a career break by dropping down to part time commitment without actually leaving.
 
GCYZ said:
Is this not part of the grand plan? The option to choose your level of service as family commitments etc. dictate, in particular to allow regulars the option to take a career break by dropping down to part time commitment without actually leaving.
Click to expand...

I believe that the idea about regular bods going RNR will happen. That would be a positive step forward for both full and part time service.
 
Worth pointing out that many of the FTRS jobs are actually done by ex regulars, rather than RNR. Can't remember the exact figures but an awful lot of those in jobs are not actually RNR and never will be.

Perhaps worth trying to distinguish between those and RNR, many of whom would love to do FTRS but find that 'jobs for the boys' prevails.
 
A lot of the shorebased FTRS billets for ratings went a few years ago with the introduction of TOPMAST.

Also, I thought Home Commitment/Local Commitment had gone, you had to sign up for Full Commitment.

I was FTRS at a shorebase for a couple of years, and regular RN couldn't complain about me taking up a shore draft 'cos it had been gapped for months!

I also put in for FTRS on one of the URNU boats. The officer in charge of said squadron nearly bit my hand off as the boat hadn't been able to sail for some time due to the billet being gapped and he wanted it operational in time for the summer university holidays. He notified the drafty and guess what? The billet was immediately filled by an OM!
 
Shakey said:
.......Also, I thought Home Commitment/Local Commitment had gone, you had to sign up for Full Commitment..........
Click to expand...

I thought that Full Commitment was removed a few years ago as it attracted full X-factor and thus was cheaper to employ people on Home Commitment with no X-factor.
 
GCYZ said:
I thought that Full Commitment was removed a few years ago as it attracted full X-factor and thus was cheaper to employ people on Home Commitment with no X-factor.
Click to expand...

Can only comment on my own experience. I was on a HC but when I extended it I was told it had to be FC. Didn't bother me, I preferred the extra money.

I know of a chef who was RFR who didn't sign up for FTRS at the aforementioned shorebase 'cos he suspected once they put him on a FC contract they'd send him straight back to sea and after twenty two years and with a young family he'd had enough.
 
My understanding is the same as GCYZs. It is well nigh impossible to get FC now, mostly due to budgets (and little due to ineptitude in the creation of contracts).
 
Haven’t been looking at it for a few years now but I remember that FTRS tended to be viewed badly by serving personnel because it reduced the number of shore billets available and often resulted in Non Pre when shore time was due. That said, human nature being what it is, there is a completely different perspective when you’re on the outside looking in for some extra time in uniform.

The really annoying thing was that the extra time “served†didn’t count towards pension, regardless of the type of contract. I don’t know if this is still the case.
 
A slightly different tack from the previous posts but I have been having a bit of trouble with understanding the FTRS concept myself just lately.

The principal issue for me is the length of the contract - you need 2 years to get onto the pension ladder but contracts are (seemingly) being offered for a maximum of 1 year.

I can see that someone out of a job could be more than happy to accept a 1-year lifeline but what if you need someone to do a job who is already in gainful employment (ie you need him to either take a sabbattical or leave his job for an uncertain future working with the Navy)?

Is this 1-year contract thing common practise or am I just being spoon fed something dark brown and not treacle flavoured?
 
I believe 1 year contracts are more common now. My "Guess" is that its to do with endless pressure on the finance (we've got the CSR coming up and Defence is once again in the Treasury's sights).

If we took someone on for two years we may find it harder to lose them quickly, but a one year contract could be offered up to the great god of Finance for some quick win savings (and likely reinstatement shortly afterwards).

Just my hugely cynical 2p worth :)
 

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