Niall Costello graduated with a Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chains during the conferring session held at SETU’s Kilkenny Road campus in Carlow on Friday 1 November.
Having completed his level 9 certificate through SETU’s Extended Campus in Carlow, Niall can now bridge the gap between his duties in the defence forces and his civilian role in finance.
SETU’s Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chains allows students to highlight the importance of developing sustainable solutions at all levels of the supply chain, from product design to delivery
Crossover of civilian life and the Defence Forces
When discussing what first interested him about the course, Niall explained, “The Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chains appealed to me because of the crossover with my civilian role. I am Head of Finance for a Forestry organisation and sustainability is a core element of the forestry business. The course further enhanced my understanding of supply chains while introducing new elements that highlighted how sustainability is perceived beyond the forestry sector.”
Niall noted that deepening his understanding of supply chains has also played an important part in his role as an officer in the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) and his current appointment in the J4 Logistics Branch at Defence Forces headquarters.
Balancing study at SETU
On his time at SETU, Niall said “I would describe my time in SETU as positive and informative. By participating in the programme through SETU’s Extended Campus, I was provided with flexible timetables and supportive lecturers who really assisted with my learning.”
Niall noted that the online delivery of the course allowed him to balance his studies alongside the various responsibilities present in both military and civilian life. He said, “The course was largely delivered online, with only the first and last days of classes delivered onsite in Carlow. This made the course more accessible and allowed me to balance my workload more easily.”
Valuing education
Having joined the Defence Forces in 1987, at the age of 17, Niall highlighted a core component that first drew him to the military. “A principle of the Defence Forces that has always appealed to me, is its ethos of training and development. A culture of education is embedded into the core of the organisation, with the promotion of continuous professional development and education being something the Defence Forces always encourages amongst its personnel.”
He continued “Operating as a reservist has allowed me to build resilience while further developing my ability to make decisions under pressure, manage others, communicate and effectively plan. With a strong emphasis on up-skilling and re-skilling present in the military, my time in education and as a reservist, has taught me how to continuously adapt to the complex and changing demands put in front of me. The technical skills you learn are important but so are the interpersonal and communication skills. The Defence Forces trains people to be more robust, to make decisions under pressure. Your mind will give up before your body ever will”.
Hopes for the future
Niall hopes that the opportunity to further his education and development will be maintained and enhanced into the future for other reservists whose roles in the Defence Forces would also benefit from participating in courses with external institutions like SETU. “The course was made available to me as a member of J4, regardless of whether I was permanent or a reservist, which is in line with the Single Force approach that the Defence Forces have now”.
He further discussed his hopes, stating “Participation in these courses would be a force multiplier for the Defence Forces by helping to combine reservist's civilian skills, education and experience with their overall contribution to the Defence Forces. It could also act as a recruitment and retention tool for the reserves, as well as being a good selling point to the reservists’ employers. Highlighting the levels of professional training and transferable skills reservists have, enhancing their value as employees in their civilian and military careers”.
For more information on Extended Campus click here.
Learn more about the Certificate in Sustainable Supply Chains.