The Educational and Training Services (ETS) Branch provides education to Regular and Reserve Army personnel, helping them to meet the challenges of the 21st century by training for certainty and educating for uncertainty.
The ETS is an all-officer, all-graduate branch, responsible for educational and training support to all elements of the Army. The ETS policy of ‘Educating Forward’ ensures day to day contact with soldiers, both in barracks and on operations.
The Army has seen education as critical to its success for many years. The tasks of the ETS have significantly grown over the past few years and, as the Army changes its roles and structures, the ETS is changing to meet them.
Currently, the ETS employs more than 300 Regular and Reserve officers delivering a range of educational fields including support to professional development (ProfDev); improving Functional Skills; supporting instructor development; teaching operational languages and providing cultural advice; and leading training development.
The ETS is also constantly involved working with overseas partners, whether in an advisory role or part of UK teams who deploy to deliver short-term training across the globe.
ETS officers deliver professional developmental education to soldiers and officers worldwide as Learning Development Officers (LDOs) and in Army Education Centres (AECs) in the following principal categories:
- The Army Leadership Development Programme provides skills and knowledge for Junior NCOs, Senior NCOs and Warrant Officers, preparing them for the responsibilities of promotion.
- Officer Career Development involves elements of the Junior Officer Leadership Programme (JOLP3), Military Analysis (MA) modules and the Captains’ Warfare Course (CWC).
- Functional Skills (FS) focuses on the maths and English skills that soldiers need at work. In barracks, this is delivered by civilians. On operations, ETS officers deploy to undertake this work, sometimes in austere environments.
In addition to professional development, ETS officers facilitate personal developmental education for soldiers and officers worldwide.
There are a wide range of opportunities, and a huge amount of funding, for everyone in the Army to conduct personal development activity, which can be disorientating if not understood. As the subject matter experts in this, ETS officers can unlock opportunities to accredit military training, access resources, and to support soldiers and officers to fulfil their aspirations for degrees and postgraduate qualifications alongside more vocational qualifications.
ETS officers are responsible for continually developing education to support language and cultural capability both for current theatres and in support of Defence Engagement and Contingency Operations.
One of the highest concentrations of ETS junior officers outside an Army Education Centre is at the Defence College of Languages and Culture in Shrivenham. These officers may lead training for overseas officers or deploy globally to assure immersion training.
