James

When I was 15 years old, I started training at home, preparing to get myself into the Royal Marines. As soon as I was old enough, I went for the Parachute Regiment. Four days to being enlisted to the regiment, I transferred to the Irish Guards and returned from military service in 2007. Over the last 10 years, I have done work protecting high-worth clients. Why do I want to stay in this field? It's what I know. I've been doing this type of work for almost 20 years now and have always found it exciting.

In my last job, my accommodation, travel and food were always taken care of by the employer. Working abroad, I didn’t think of saving for the future. I spent everything I had and when the job ended, I became homeless. My brother informed me of a charity for homeless ex-forces and they have been able to support me with temporary accommodation.

I am enthusiastic to update my current skills and continue with my career, but I need new qualifications. This training will allow me to take roles that will be in a different environment and a much better fit for me. I want to build my finances back up so I can get myself a home, a car and be in a position to settle down. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

For personal reasons James has chosen to use a pseudonym rather than his real name.