Making Smart Training Decisions

For a Successful Career in Protection

Author

Circuit Magazine
May 16, 2022

Training is integral to ongoing personal and professional development.

Everyone should seek to be a lifelong learner, setting future goals and aquiring skills and knowledge that can be converted into real-world experience through persistent application.

I think most reading this wouldn't disagree with that statement. But the training landscape can still be a minefield that needs to be navigated with diligence. The time and money investment we commit to our professional development is precious and limited so it pays to be well informed before making those commitments.

This week, we've got some great advice for protectors at all stages of your career.

Let's get into it!

The Circuit Magazine Podcast

So, you're a qualified EP professional - What now? What's next in your learning and development calendar?

This week, we're delighted to be talking about the learning and development forum for EP professionals that the Circuit Magazine just ran. And on this episode of the podcast, we've got a very special guest. We're going to be talking with fellow circuit magazine Editor, Shaun West.

Shaun has had a great deal of success both as a protector and a business owner but it didn't just happen overnight. What were the early decisions that led Shaun to where he is today and what lessons can the rest of us learn from his experiences?

If you enjoy listening to the Circuit Podcast and can spare a minute, please rate/review us. Your rating will help us to rank higher making it easier for others to find the podcast.

The Need to Know

Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp when she was shot in the face.

An alleged Islamist terrorist knifed five people on a commuter train before being outmuscled by a 60-year-old off-duty cop. The suspect was reported as an extremism by his refugee home as a possible extremist 'test case'.

How Apple, Google and Microsoft are about to make passwords a thing of the past

Safer than two-factor authentication and easier than remembering dozens of codes, the ‘Fido’ system will make our digital lives smoother. But what is it?

Finns, already wary of Russia, have looked at Ukraine and seen uncomfortable parallels. Little wonder that, after decades of refusing to sign up with any military alliance, Finland is almost certain to start the process of joining NATO.

Rolex Rippers struck again when two Eastern European-acccented women pretending to be cleaners stole a valuable watch from a resident's wrist after knocking on the front door.

Since it began protecting presidents, the United States Secret Service has escorted the president and other high-ranking government officials into war zones, disaster areas and places in extreme distress. Despite the overwhelming security risks, the Secret Service has always managed to make these trips happen and keep the protectees safe.

Thousands of pounds stolen in cases seen by the Guardian in reports from City of London police

msspalert.com - CISA Cybersecurity Advisory offers 12 steps MSPs can take to mitigate supply chain cyberattacks & other digital threats that target MSPs & their customers.

For more timely global updates like this, get the Circuit Daily Briefing delivered to your inbox... daily! Get on the list >

From the Pages of the Circuit Magazine

There are many out there, some are good, some are bad but how can you tell before you part with your hard-earned cash and what are the questions that you should be asking?

Before embarking on any course it is always advisable to carry out your own due diligence, it is amazing how many people don’t do this and end up getting caught out.

In response to being asked countless times by new entrants to the industry "which close protection training provider should I use?" Shaun West put together this guide to help readers make an informed decision when embarking on their new career path. It is essential you make good decisions from the outset and that starts with the training provider that you choose.

If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then sign up for the Circuit Magazine >

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Geopolitical Analysis by RANE

Sinn Fein's victory will likely create a near-term political crisis in Northern Ireland, while social and political conditions in the region and the broader United Kingdom will make a reunification referendum improbable for several more years.

According to Northern Ireland's rules, unionist and republican parties must govern the region together, which means that a government cannot be formed unless Sinn Fein and the DUP agree on it. However, the DUP has said it will not join a government led by a Sinn Fein-appointed First Minister. This means that a political crisis is probable, as it could take weeks or even months for Sinn Fein and the DUP to reach a deal.

  • The U.K. government has the power to govern Northern Ireland directly in times of crisis. But in recent years, London has been skeptical of using this power to avoid escalating political tensions in the region.

  • According to Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, a referendum on Irish reunification should be possible ''within a five-year timeframe.''

London's continued threats to unilaterally abandon the Northern Ireland protocol mean that disruptive tit-for-tat trade sanctions with the European Union are possible, despite incentives to reach a deal.

Special Offer for On the Circuit Readers

From the Community

Following on from a conversation on our recent Learning & Development Event, regarding combative skills, we asked the community 'why is there such a divide within the industry between those rooting for different disciplines?

As a community is there a favoured martial art or combative skill?

Why is there so much negativity towards someone with X or Y combative skill if there's no agreed standard?

Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:

🇺🇸 NABA Protector >

🇬🇧 BBA Connect >

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Final thoughts

Embers of resistance against the Taliban’s brutality are flaring up in Afghanistan, with clashes reported across the north and west of the country this week as armed resistance groups frontally take on the Islamists.

Fighting has been reported in a number of provinces, including Panjshir, Ghazni, Herat, and others, as anti-Taliban groups make good on pledges of a “spring offensive” and Islamists deploy thousands of fighters to quell the uprisings. One resistance source said the Taliban’s acting deputy defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Fazl, has arrived in the Panjshir Valley, north of Kabul, to oversee the fight, an indication of how seriously the extremists view the budding resistance.

Resistance groups are unlikely to defeat the Taliban’s superior firepower—some of which is American war booty taken after the rushed withdrawal last year—in the short term. But they could dig in for the long haul, embedding among local populations and using knowledge of the terrain for a guerrilla-style hit-and-run insurgency. This seems to be the Taliban’s greatest fear, and the vicious response to the uprisings, including reported arbitrary executions of civilians in some hotspots, is a clear attempt to stub out any signs of support for the resistance effort.

Until next week...

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