On the 27th April, Colchester reserve units 254 Medical Regiment 161 Squadron, 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signals squadron & 158 RLC 202 Sqn hosted 30 students from the Public Services course offered by Colchester Institute to a ‘Look at life’ in the Army Reserves as part of a recruitment & engagement event.
At the Colchester Army Reserve Centre, the students were divided into three teams, called ‘Waterloo’ ‘Telic’ & ‘Herrick’ so they could all take part in the activities the reservists had prepared for them.
Each team of students took part in activities that highlighted the special skills learned inthe participating Reserve units.
- ‘Medics in the field’,
- ‘Fieldcraft’,
- ‘Laser rifle range’ &
- ‘Vehicle display.’
Justin Powles, Area Head for Public Services and Sport at the Colchester Institute, said: “Our learners are all interested in future careers within the uniformed public Services. Their visit allowed them to see first hand what is required to be a soldier within the Army Reserve.”
He added: “A number of our learners have since expressed an interest in joining the Army Reserve whilst completing their second year of study with Colchester Institute, and as a possible route into the Regulars at a later stage.”
The Reserve Forces units who hosted the event all train from the Army Reserve Centre in Colchester. East Anglia RFCA manages and maintains the Army Reserve Centres (ARC) that these Reserve Units train at during evenings and weekends. Our Estates team carried out ablutions upgrades at Colchester ARC in 2021.