At DHU Healthcare we have very proud links with our Armed Forces colleagues and would like to introduce you to our Director of IT and Analytics, Nigel Hall, who began his career with the Royal Air Force Cadets.
Nigel joined as a Cadet at the age of 13 years with the West Yorkshire Squadron, Pudsey before joining the Royal Air Force six years later. He completed his basic training but returned to the Air Cadets, initially as a Civilian Instructor, and then later as a Commissioned Officer within the Volunteer Reserve (Training) branch in 2005.
Nigel told us: “It was a very rewarding position, working with the cadets as part of a Queen’s Commission. I was involved in a lot of training including radio, our nationally recognised Qualified Aerospace Instruction Course (QAIC) which included various elements such as air traffic control, aerodynamics and presentation skills; we ran 40 cadets at each centre for six months at a time at MoD Boscombe Down and RAF Linton-on Ouse.
“For the cadets, it could be quite daunting as they had to present a very technical topic based on their research senior regular RAF Officers during their graduation week. It could be the Chief of Air Staff, very senior, but being able to lead our cadets through that was very rewarding. Further, I was delighted to be able to reach the rank of Squadron Leader and be appointed as Course Director of QAIC.
“Additionally, I was heavily involved in delivering the digitalisation of the Cadet’s details which was a strong link to the role I perform now at DHU. All Cadet details used to be on card which was very difficult logistically so in 2005 I was part of the team that delivered Project Bader, which went across the entire Air Cadet organisation. It meant national records could be developed and details could be shared more securely over email.
“I left in 2019 but learned so much, particularly in terms of organisational, leadership skills and the military ethos to approach everything with a can do, teamwork attitude. There are very high standards of integrity and it’s ingrained into you to do the right thing, especially when nobody is watching. I do keep in touch with some of them and it’s incredibly pleasing to see one of your former cadets rise through the ranks, for example one of my cadets, eight years later, is a Flight Lieutenant pilot with the RAF and has recently partaken an exchange programme with the US Airforce. It's nice to be able to feel you have shared a part in that success.
“It’s nice to know we have so many former and even a few current servicemen and women at DHU. I’ve seen the work on our Armed Forces Covenant awards take shape and recognise us as an equal opportunity employer, one that values the merits and qualities that people who have served can bring to an organisation.
“I look back on my time with the Cadets with pride and know that it has given me the personal skills to achieve and the desire to help others develop. To work with Cadets and see them develop new skills, encourage each other and teach new cadets what they themselves have learned is important to any organisation and something we’ve brought to DHU in coaching-led leadership. That’s something I bring to my team.”
Picture (Above): ‘Flt Lt Nigel Hall RAF VR(T) pictured left, receiving a Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Air Cadet organisation from ACM Sir Stephen Dalton GCB in 2011’.
Publish date: 20 February 2024