Shropshire college's course for adventure
Students are studying for adventure at one Shropshire college, where they are being prepared for a life in the Armed Forces.
Telford College of Arts and Technology is pioneering a course that is specifically designed to prepare young people for the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
That means they are as likely to be taking on an assault course or learning about battlefield strategy as they are sitting in a classroom with a pen in hand.
Jake Finch and Gurcharan Mall are two examples of graduates who are now embarking on career in uniform..
Jake, from Shifnal, has just landed a job with the Royal Navy and is setting sail on a journey to become a fully trained submariner.
And Gurcharan, who lives in Trench, is poised to proudly follow in his grandfather's footsteps by becoming an Army reservist.
Both signed up for the Public Uniformed Services courses at TCAT.
The daily routine at the Wellington campus includes drill and physical training, followed by a mixture of practical and theoretical sessions.
Visiting speakers provide up-to-date information about career possibilities and explain the application process for their service.
Jake sat the Royal Navy Selection Test as part of a selection week at college, which also included a mock interview with a member of the Royal Navy. He passed, and was offered a variety of roles. He has just completed his initial Royal Navy training at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall, and in the new year he will begin an intensive eight-month programme at the Submarine School in Portsmouth.
Gurcharan, from Trench in Telford, has been on the Public Uniform Services course since September 2013, and has now applied to become an army reservist.
"The course has been fabulous," he said. "Outside the classroom, we have been rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking and taken on many other team building activities.
"You have to be a team player if you want a career in the military, because the belief is that together, everyone achieves more.
"Anyone who likes to be challenged, like the chance to get out and about, and enjoy keeping fit, will absolutely love the course."
For Gurcharan Mall, 20, the TCAT course is a stepping stone to fulfilling a long-held family ambition.
"My grandfather served in the Indian army, and was killed in battle in 1965," he explained. "As a result, I have been brought up in a family with a lot of military history.
"I've grown up looking at the uniform. From the age of six or seven I remember dressing up in military clothes, so to get on this course really is a dream come true for me. It has been brilliant."
Jane Owen, who heads up the department at TCAT, said: "Jake and Gurcharan show the sort of potential that awaits students who sign up for our courses. They both have a bright future ahead of them."
