MILITARY Academy students from Duchy College Stoke Climsland and Cornwall College Camborne attended a very tough and challenging week at Okehampton Camp recently.

The event, which was organised in conjunction with the Rifles Regiment, the Armed Forces careers’ offices in Plymouth and Redruth and the Coldstream guards training team, was designed to give the students first-hand experience of basic training.

Throughout the week students participated in leadership and teamwork activities. Physical fitness played a big part of the week with training sessions working on cardiovascular, upper body strength and stamina, as well as low level military lessons, in-line with phase one training.

Students also had a presentation from the Armed Forces Careers Office, Redruth that explained the current role of the Army and the variations in career paths available.

Jamie Crisp, team lead for public services, Military Academy at Duchy College, said: ‘The students worked exceptionally hard through what is designed to be a challenging week. Friendships and teamwork were forged alongside increased passion for the career paths the students are looking to undertake. Students are now looking forward to their first routine visit this month with the Royal Navy, where they will be put through some of the Navy’s phase one training sessions.’

Map reading and navigation is vitally important; to reflect this, students competed in two orienteering courses, one inside the camp and a four-mile external course. The Coldstream Guards delivered a guards careers presentation and a series of thought-provoking and challenging leadership tasks.

Jamie added: ‘Throughout the week the learners mapped many of the employability 21 competencies including punctuality, reliability, work ethic, personal presentation, adaptability, sector ambition, resilience and communication, planning and priorities, working with peers and supervisors, quality of work and meeting deadlines. I’m very pleased with how they all got on.’