Last week public services and sports students were given a taste of army life. A team of soldiers from several different regiments visited the college, bringing a collection of exciting activities and experiences with them.
Activities designed to showcase skills needed
Sergeant James Mazan, a careers advisor from the Army’s recruitment team, and member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers organised the event. He said:
“We have brought several activities with us today. They showcase what we do to try and quell the myth that all we do is shoot at things. The activities will give students the chance to see the wide range of jobs we do and the skills we are looking for. For example, the command task shows how we work as a team. It also shows the importance of good communications, as well as how we improve ourselves as soldiers.”
Students worked together to complete the command task, guiding their team mates through an obstacle course under the watchful eye of eye of members of the infantry. Students were given feedback and learnt from the experts about how to improve before they had another go.
The students also had the chance to complete a map task; use their skills to crack a code to access vital equipment; have a go on a shooting range and to try a variety of virtual reality worlds which simulated the tasks army recruits would be involved in. They were also given the opportunity to test their reaction times and compete against each other to improve their scores.
What skills are the army looking for
We asked Sergeant Mazan to tell us what skills the Army are looking for in new recruits and what opportunities there are if you have a particular interest. He told us:
“As long as someone can read and write we have a job for everyone. It will depend on the qualities you have. If you want to be an engineer you need to have some sort of engineering understanding. To work with explosives you will need a good understanding of physics and chemistry. If you want to be a driver, your fitness needs to be up there and you need to have the ability to stay alert and awake for long periods of time.”
Opportunities for a career in the army
Deborah Thomson, Public Services lecturer, thanked the Army for attending and said;
“It is really important to give our students this type of experience to demonstrate the range of opportunities open to them with a career in the Army. We are grateful to the Army for bringing such engaging activities with them. They have really challenged the students’ skillsets in so many different ways. For many of the students, it has also given them the chance to try something new.”