With William and Harry constantly in the news for their military exploits and the National Union of Teachers debating whether the army should be allowed to recruit in schools, careers in the armed services are in the spotlight.

But is it a good idea?

Think about your ideal career: what does it look like? It probably involves the chance to earn money for doing something exciting, perhaps creative and rewarding.

Maybe you want the chance to travel the world, or to develop a range of skills that can be transferred to other jobs? Or time to study while you work and the chance to gain further qualifications? Perhaps working outside is important to you or the opportunity to get and stay fit? What almost certainly doesn’t feature in your wish-list is an office-based nine-to-five job.

If any of that sounds like you, then it’s well worth considering a career in the British Army. And if you thought it was all about combat, think again.

Opportunities

In reality there are 140 different trades available across seven main job groups: engineering; logistics and support; medical; human resources and finance; intelligence; IT and communications; combat; and music and ceremonial. There’s an opportunity in the Army for just about any career you can think of.

So where to start? With parental consent you can apply to join the Army and begin training at the age of 16 but you wouldn’t be deployed on operations until you’ve completed your training at 18.

Training

If you’re between 16 and 17, you would join the Army as a junior entry recruit. From here you would then be required to complete Phase 1 Training, which is a 42 week course at the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate or a shorter course at one of the Army’s other training establishments.

The 42 week course at Harrogate is tough training and demands a lot of anyone undertaking it, but those who do it often appreciate pushing their boundaries and building solid foundations for their Army career. You never know what your potential is until you test yourself.

For junior recruits, Phase 1 Training consists of military tuition, tasks to establish leadership and initiative skills as well as plenty of sport and adventure training. The course will take you on as a school leaver and send you out as a trained soldier, helping you to develop both confidence and maturity.

You’d then move on to your Phase 2 training to develop further, more specialised skills that would qualify you for your chosen career area.

Experience

Sapper Andrew Solomon, 19, joined the Army after completing his GCSEs and is now an Equipment Mechanic in the Royal Engineers. He chose the Army as a vocation as well as an experience.

“My dad was in the Army and I always wanted to do the same,” says Andrew. “I was looking to get a vocation as well as gain some life experience, so I chose the Royal Engineers because of the range of trades available, plus you get to do extra tasks such as demolition and bridge building.

"My duties include fixing any vehicles that come in with a problem and when preparing for an overseas tour we make sure all the vehicles and kit are ready to go.”

If you want to pursue vocational training while you study, the Army has also recently launched a Further Education Bursary scheme. Under this scheme you could apply to be sponsored while you’re at college before embarking on your Army career at 18. You might also qualify for an Officer Scholarship. These are available to sixth form students with real leadership potential so if that’s you, go for it!

Find out more

All the information you need on careers in the Army, including detail about grants and sponsorships on offer, can be found at www.armyjobs.mod.uk.

To find out about other options available to you as a school or college leaver, take a look at What Next After School? All you need to know about work, travel and study by Elizabeth Holmes, published by Kogan Page in association with The Times.

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