Life in the armed forces is tough - no-one signing up should expect anything else. Today, with British service personnel fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the strain can be intense, perhaps more so today than in other conflicts.

Tim Marsden, who served with the RAF for 36 years, explained: "One old soldier said to me that in his day, you knew exactly who your enemy was. Now it could be anybody, anywhere."

Little wonder, then, that recent reports have suggested that more and more people are looking to leave the forces. But what do they do when they leave for a life on civvy street?

It is an alien environment for most and the pressures of adapting to a normal' job for example, and standing on your own feet to earn a living can bring its own pressures.

Mr Marsden, 55, left the RAF three years ago having specialised as a parachute jump instructor at Brize Norton.

He linked up with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) which is backed by the Ministry of Defence and the Regular Forces Employment Association (RFEA).

It helps with resettlement of individuals coming out of the forces, matching them with employers, while the RFEA helps with CV writing and general support, right through to retirement age.

Through it he was able to use his skills as a trainer to set up an Oxford branch of Skill Force, an independent charity, which helps tackle the dual problem of people coming out of the armed forces, and the ongoing challenge of youngsters dropping out of the school system with few, or no, qualifications.

It particularly appealed to ex-instructors whose skills could be widely applied to the world of education and training. This is achieved through a variety of courses, most of which have little or nothing to do with the national curriculum, but provide qualifications that can be the equivalent of GCSEs.

Mr Marsden said: "We start with teaching wider key skills, such as problem solving, working with others and improving learning.

"They then do a Certifciate of Personal Effectiveness, which shows they can research, make a presentation and have a solution to problems with a particular topic."

Qualifications can include a Duke of Edinburgh Award and National Navigator, which teaches pupils how to use a map either in the street, or in open country.

It is a tough challenge as the students involved have all had problems with mainstream education, and many come from difficult backgrounds which influence their behaviour and make them resent authority and attemps to teach them.

Mr Marsden said: "These children could be disengaged from school or disadvantaged. They could have low literacy levels, or conditions such as autism, or physical disabilities. We have children who have been raped, or beaten and are angry. We want them to re-engage.

When they join, they tend to have low attendance. It improves with us, but only on the days we come in.

"But every child can realise their own potential - the courses are designed to improve confidence and self-esteem."

One person who has been impressed with the effect Skill Force has had on the pupils is Cheney's deputy head teacher, Alastair White.

He said: "I regard them as exceptional professionals. One of my worries was how a bunch of ex-Service people would fit in with woolly, liberal teachers, and be able to deal with young people.

"But they have fully integrated into the school and the students benefit hugely from their presence, the most fundamental element being how they develop in confidence.

"Some started with no confidence and it grows, while others were over-confident and they have matured. These kids need a lot of re-building' and the school system has not done it for them.

"This scheme means they are more able to make better succession routes for themselves, either through college, or apprenticeships. The impact is immense."

A measure of that impact is that Mr White is no longer called to deal with unruly pupils in the classroom once they have come under the Skill Force umbrella, while individuals have had fewer run-ins with the police while outside school.

Jack Anderson, 16, from Wood Farm, is a good example. Two years ago, he was always in trouble both, in and out of school. But now he is looking to go into the Royal Navy and is also studying for a bricklaying apprenticeship at college in Blackbird Leys.

He said: "Skill Force has a different approach to normal teachers. They are not so strict and treat you like an adult. I spend a lot of time with the instructors and I can chat to them about anything."

Skill Force operates for five hours a week in Cheney and other Oxford state schools including the Cherwell, St Gregory the Great and Peers.

Cheney has 24 year ten and 11 pupils on the scheme, which is over-subscribed, and Mr Marsden is looking to add to his four-strong team of instructors, all of whom have training backgrounds in the forces.

Another company which deals with the CTP and recruits former services personnel is international logistics specialist Simon Hegele, based at Milton Park.

Human resources manager Zara Bavcevich explained: "We have three people working with us who are all ex-Army and, as drivers, that means they have had training and kept up to date with their certificates.

"They have also travelled and have a better knowledge of the European road system and some have been based in Germany, so have language skills which are really useful. The more they can bring to the role, the better."

The message appears top be that life after the forces can be a rocky road, but there are plenty of opportunities.

o Career Transition Partnership: Employment consultant Sonia Harford, 0118 957 3178, or visit www.ctp.org.uk o Skill Force: 01623 827651, www.skillforce.org