Nigel Palmer A perfect fit

Nigel joined the Royal Navy in 1998 as a marine engineer based at HMS Sultan in Gosport. Working mainly on frigates, Nigel progressed quickly through the ranks to become leading hand at the engineering school, seeing active service on seven different ships before leaving the military in 2007.

Said Nigel:

“The transition from a military to a civilian career can be really tough for veterans. Certainly, when I left the Royal Navy, it’s fair to say that I didn’t have a particular career path in mind. Like everyone else, earning money and paying the bills was a priority. However, I also felt confident that the skills I had developed would stand me in good stead for a future engineering role.

I used my enhanced learning credits during my resettlement training with the Careers Transition Partnership, which I put towards both 16th edition wiring regulations and refrigeration training. Looking back, this was a wise choice, and I secured a role with Domnick Hunter (now Parker Domnick Hunter) almost immediately. Working on process chilling equipment soon broadened out into the wider compressed air industry and, fast forward 18 years, I’m now proud to be managing my own team of engineers as managing director at SCC Air Compressors UK.

I consider myself very fortunate to have found a route into the compressed air industry so early on, but not all my peers found it as straightforward. The quality and breadth of the skills, particularly our technical knowledge, that we had gained during our years of service weren’t always recognised by industry. I had many friends that had to settle for security or logistics work because potential employers believed the military skillset more closely aligned with these roles.

Thankfully, the industry mindset has changed considerably since 2007 and it’s encouraging to see more employers now embracing the skills that veterans can bring. And it’s not just the technical expertise either. In the military, you keep going until the task is complete or the problem is fixed, which I believe are essential attributes for anyone considering an engineering career.” 

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