Students Start College Year with Army Experience

Level 3 Public Services students started the academic year in style with a four-day residential Army Work Experience course at Altcar Training Camp in Southport.

Altcar Training Camp is a facility owned and run by the North West Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (NW RFCA) and is used extensively by regular, reserve and cadet units from all three services for military and civilian activities and training. The site has 620 acres of range and dry training areas, and 500 acres of beaches and sand dunes. Alongside 720 beds, are training facilities including clay pigeon lanes, football pitches, an obstacle course, and a new gym.

Our students spent an amazing four days experiencing life in the army through a range of activities such as practising discipline and teamwork in a live setting, seeing how military leadership styles work in action, handling and wearing real kit, and testing their fitness under high-pressure situations. Starting the academic year with this type of activity gave students the chance to bond, learn how to work together as a team and display resilience as they took part in day-to-day activities outside the classroom, and sometimes outside their own comfort zone!

The four-day experience gave students some valuable insights and experiences that they will be able to use on some of the modules of their two-year Public Services course such as “Follow Uniformed Service Routine”, “Outdoor and Adventurous Expeditions”, “Security Procedures in the Uniformed Services”, and many more!

Steve Wilson, Lecturer in Public Services said, “Work experience with the British Army shows our students the standards they will face in any uniformed service. They see the chain of command in practice, learn that discipline in small things builds reliability in large ones, and experience teamwork under pressure.

“They also get an honest picture of service life before they commit, and return with more confidence, clearer goals and real material for applications and interviews.”

Find out more about Public Services at Craven College or visit us on one of our upcoming Open Events.