High fliers: Apprentice training at RAF Cosford praised by Ofsted inspectors
Apprentice training at RAF Cosford has been praised by Ofsted inspectors after the service's training schools and operation units received an Outstanding rating after a snap visit.
Officials said the grading, the highest which can be awarded, followed a no-notice inspection of teaching standards and experiences of apprentices.
RAF Cosford is the home of RAF Engineering and trains more than half of the service's 2,400 apprentices annually.
Station commander Group Captain Adam Sansom said he was 'delighted' the quality of RAF training had been recognised by the report.
"We have a great team here at RAF Cosford who work hard to deliver world-class training and support to the young men and women undergoing their apprenticeships," he said.
"The award of an outstanding grading highlights the opportunities an RAF apprenticeship offers – especially to those who would like an alternative to a purely academic higher education."
Besides engineering, the RAF offers apprenticeships in occupations including policing, catering, human resources, photography, medicine and dentistry.
Military photography apprentices are trained at RAF Cosford along with physical training instructors.
Aircraftman Michael Tyrer, 22, originally from Preston, graduated as an information and communications technician last week.
He has now been posted to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
"I always wanted to work in IT and the RAF was the only organisation who would take me without any formal IT qualifications," he said.
Aircraftman Kirrian Singh, 19, from Norwich, started his apprenticeship in November.
He left school with a handful of GCSEs and said he picked the RAF because he 'wanted a career where he could travel and take part in adventurous training activities'.
Senior Aircraftwoman Lorrelle Butler, 26, of Doncaster, is about to graduate from her apprenticeship training as an aircraft technician.
She has already completed one tour of duty at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire where she worked on the Tristar air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft.
While at Brize Norton she was also detached to Cyprus, Oman and Abu Dhabi and was part of the military team that provided security to the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.
She said that she joined the RAF because "it offered everything compared to other apprenticeship schemes out there."
Lorelle has now been selected as the first female to be posted to the RAF's world-famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight straight out of apprentice training.
"When I first found out I was left speechless," she said.
As well as building for the future RAF Cosford offers a look to the past with the world famous museum housing over 70 aircraft.
The machines are housed in three wartime hangars and within the National Cold War Exhibition. Visitors can see the world's oldest Spitfire and a Lincoln Bomber, just two of the highlights in the War in the Air Collection.
For more information on how to become an RAF Apprentice go to www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment
