Axed soldiers offered massage and aromatherapy courses
British troops who face being axed from the military under plans to reduce the country’s defence budget are being offered courses in massage and aromatherapy.
Soldiers from The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Afghanistan Photo: Sgt Rupert Frere
8:37AM BST 11 Aug 2011
Solidiers who have spent their careers training and fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan can also prepare for civilian life by qualifying in pottery. Under the taxpayer-funded Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme, they can claim 80 per cent of course fees up to a maximum of £2,000.
But yesterday soldiers insisted they would rather the money was spent on saving their military careers. The MoD’s budget, which stands at £33.8 billion this year, is being cut by 8 per cent over four years. The department has already concluded that those cuts will still not be enough to balance the budget, meaning that unless the Treasury increases defence spending to fill the gap, further cuts will be required.
By April 2015, military personnel across the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force will be cut by 17,000, with 11,000 coming through redundancies. One soldier questioned whether “aromatherapy specialists are really going to protect our borders”. He told The Sun: “We want to continue in the job we adore. We're trained soldiers, airmen and sailors, who joined to protect our country.”
The courses on offer to troops must be a Level 3 NVQ or above. A defence source said: “Retraining troops is vital - but I understand that soldiers would rather their jobs were saved.” An MoD spokesman added: “The scheme only pays towards nationally recognised qualifications. Course lists are provided by colleges, not the MoD.”
