Former Royal Engineer Wayne Hall now leads by example in a college classroom, carrying forward 25 years of military leadership and technical expertise to inspire the next generation of public servants. After a long army career spanning conflict zones from Afghanistan to Northern Ireland, the 49-year-old veteran has traded his camouflage uniform for a teacher’s lanyard. Hall’s new mission: preparing teens for futures in uniformed services – and proving that the skills forged in military life can fuel success in civilian public service.
Hall’s service began in the late 1990s when he enlisted with the Royal Engineers. Over 25 years, he built an impressive resume of deployments and duties. He served in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland, applying his expertise as an electrical engineer under challenging conditions. Between operational tours, he also took on instructor roles, training junior soldiers at army barracks in Cambridgeshire and Hampshire. “I found I enjoyed the teaching side – watching new recruits progress gave me real satisfaction,” he recalls. Those experiences planted the seed that a second career in education might await him down the line. Yet like many long-serving soldiers, Hall rarely had time to imagine civilian life while juggling postings around the globe.
Finding purpose beyond the uniform
As Hall approached his late 40s, he reached a turning point. “It was time for a new challenge, but also to deliver my family some stability,” he says, echoing a sentiment shared by many ex-forces parents. The army had been an amazing career, but the relentless moves and deployments came at a cost. “I felt I’d achieved what I set out to in the military. I wanted to settle down and use my experience in a more stable, civilian environment,” Hall explains. In 2022, after a quarter-century of service, he made the daunting decision to hang up his uniform.
Leaving the only life he’d ever known was not easy. Hall admits to a few sleepless nights as his final day in the forces loomed. “I’d be lying if I said I never had doubts… it’s human to have worries about such a big change,” he confides, reflecting on the nervousness he felt initially. Like many veterans, he wondered how a CV filled with military roles would translate to civilian employers. Even with years of leadership and technical credentials, he had moments of questioning his own marketability outside the Armed Forces’ structured environment.
To build his confidence and credentials, Hall took full advantage of the resettlement support available. He had always loved instructing, so he set his sights on becoming a teacher early on. He tapped into veteran education programmes – including a pioneering scheme called “Further Forces” that helps service leavers retrain as further education (FE) lecturers. This fully funded programme, backed by the MOD and Department for Education, allowed Hall to earn a teaching qualification while gaining classroom experience. “It was strange being a student again in my late 40s,” he laughs, “but the support from both the college and the programme mentors was fantastic.”
With that help, Hall soon realised that a lifetime of army learning had already prepared him well for academics: he diligently applied his famed military discipline to essay deadlines and lesson planning, and any initial intimidation about university-level coursework quickly gave way to top marks. In fact, during his training he co-led a research project on student learning in FE – work that was published by the University of Portsmouth and even earned his cohort extra funding for new gym equipment at the college.
Hall also discovered a community of like-minded career-changers on the course. “The army has a superb resettlement package, but it was the specialised teaching initiatives – and my fellow trainee teachers – that really made the difference,” he notes. Sharing the journey with other ex-forces personnel turned aspiring teachers helped him conquer the transition. They swapped war stories and study tips in equal measure. “Probation is great at nurturing and developing people’s potential. Now that I’m qualified, they’re already pushing me towards management,” one of his older coursemates told him, which encouraged Hall to see that his age and experience were assets, not obstacles, in education. Buoyed by this camaraderie and guidance, Hall completed his training confident that he had found his new purpose beyond the uniform.
Thriving in the classroom
In mid-2022, Hall embarked on his second career – swapping army bases for a bustling Further Education campus. He joined West Nottinghamshire College as a lecturer in the Uniformed Protective Services department, a course aimed at students who aspire to careers in the armed forces, police, fire service or NHS. It was a natural fit. “In many ways, it’s not so different from the work I did in the army training young soldiers – except now my ‘troops’ are teenagers prepping for civilian uniformed roles,” Hall says with a grin.
He brings to the classroom the same strengths that served him well in the military: clear communication, a steady presence under pressure, and a knack for practical problem-solving. These qualities have given him an edge in education, where dealing with energetic students can require as much calm discipline as handling young recruits. “Teaching is rewarding and frustrating in equal measure, but I love the challenge,” he says – especially knowing that his work has a tangible impact on young people’s lives.
Hall’s real-world credibility has been a hit with his students. Whether he’s leading a physical training session or a lesson on leadership ethics, ears perk up when Mr Hall mentions “back when I was in the army.” His tales of building bridges (literally, as a Royal Engineer) or adapting under fire overseas bring textbook concepts to life.
More importantly, he instils in his students the values he lived by: teamwork, integrity, and resilience. The armed forces excel at skills like communication, problem-solving and teamwork – and Hall teaches these in the way he learned them himself, with enthusiasm and conviction. It’s not a boot-camp atmosphere by any means – his classroom is full of mutual respect and even humour – but he does set high standards. “Some of these kids thrive with a bit of structure and encouragement,” he notes. “They know I’ve been where they want to go, so I try to model the discipline and positive attitude they’ll need.”
One big difference from military life that Hall appreciates is the improved work–life balance. After years of 5am physical training sessions, months-long deployments, and being on duty 24/7, he now enjoys a more predictable routine. The college’s academic calendar means evenings and weekends are generally his own – a novelty he relishes. The uncertainty that came with army life was one reason he left, but ironically it’s one of the things he misses too,” he admits with a chuckle.
Still, having the certainty of being home for family dinners and not missing any more birthdays has been a welcome change. Hall has settled into civilian life in Mansfield, not far from where he grew up, and feels rooted in his community for the first time in decades. “I didn’t realise how much I was craving this kind of stability,” he reflects. Public sector roles like education often offer that healthy balance and focus on wellbeing that many veterans, after years of service, come to deeply value.
Even as he traded his army kit for business-casual, Hall discovered that the mission-first mindset remained the same. In uniform he served Queen and country; now he serves his local community by educating its youth. Whether he’s organising a charity fitness challenge with his students or coaching them through a tough exam, he approaches it with the enthusiasm and conviction ingrained in him by military service.
His colleagues in the faculty say the veteran teacher’s presence has had a positive influence – much like Paul Alcorn found in council work, Hall’s team appreciates the fresh perspective and calm under pressure that a veteran brings. “When you’ve managed soldiers on challenging deployments, you don’t flap over a rowdy classroom or a tight deadline,” he jokes. In fact, Hall’s department head has noted his talent for leadership and ‘prosocial modelling’ – showing young people positive behaviours like responsibility and teamwork by example. It’s a role he seems born to play.
Encouraging fellow veterans
Now thriving in his second career, Hall is passionate about paying it forward to the veteran community. He knows first-hand how intimidating it can be for long-serving military personnel to imagine life beyond the barracks. To help others see the possibilities, he often shares his own story – whether at Career Transition Partnership events or over a coffee with former comrades. His message to other service leavers is simple: your military skills do translate, and you can flourish in civilian public service. “The discipline, leadership, adaptability – even the sense of humour – that got you through military life are exactly what civilian employers are looking for,” Hall asserts. He is living proof that ex-forces personnel can not only find their place in civilian life, but excel there.
Hall is particularly keen to raise awareness of the programmes that helped him, like Further Forces and Transition to Teach. “There’s a huge amount of help out there – the trick is knowing what questions to ask,” he says, acknowledging that the resettlement journey can feel overwhelming at first. He advises veterans to take advantage of insight days, work placements and any training bursaries available – even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone. Hall himself, once a self-described “old dog learning new tricks” in academia, ended up not only earning a postgraduate certificate in education but also embracing technology and new teaching methods along the way. “If I can go back to school at 50, anyone can!” he laughs.
Ultimately, Wayne Hall’s journey from the battlefield to the classroom exemplifies how military-honed talents can shine in the public sector. He has discovered that leaving the army didn’t mean leaving behind the ethos of service – it was a chance to serve again in a different way, with the same sense of purpose. From building bridges in war zones to building up confident young citizens, Hall finds profound continuity in his two careers. And as he tells his veteran friends: “Your service set you up for this. Don’t underestimate what you’re capable of outside the wire.” His success stands as an inspiration for all service leavers seeking a meaningful second act. With resilience, the right support, and a willingness to reinvent oneself, life after the military can be every bit as rewarding as life in uniform – and for Hall, it’s only the beginning of a new adventure.
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