This edition of General Talk is the second of two episodes looking at the Army Apprenticeship Programme. We head to London and Pembrokeshire to meet four young apprentices and hear from the civilian and military staff supporting their training.
The gun carriages and beautifully turned-out horses of the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, are familiar from royal and state occasions. We go behind the scenes of this mounted ceremonial unit, quartered in Woolwich, to meet two Army Apprentices who are being trained to care for, and drive, the teams of six horses pulling the gun carriages. Gunners Millie Cook and Ciara Sullivan explain to podcast host, Harry Bucknall, what it takes to become an apprentice equine groom. We also hear from Charlie Kingston of the Colleges Partnership about how she supports both gunners to meet the standards of this civilian qualification.
We then head to Castlemartin Ranges in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, to meet two engineering operative apprentices – Corporal Jonathan Crowther and Trooper Charlie Bradfield of the Royal Dragoon Guards – as they begin their work-up training prior to deployment.
The Army is Britain’s top apprenticeship employer, with around 13,000 Army apprentices on its scheme at any one time. Harry hears from both soldiers, and from Major Brett Taylor and Lieutenant Cassian Ferrari, about the benefits of the apprenticeship scheme for individuals and the Army.
A “‘mechanically-minded kid”’ who played with Lego, Trooper Bradfield joined the Army after working in retail and is now a Warrior driver. Trooper Bradfield says: “It was made clear to me when I was signing up, that the Army would develop my skills and invest in me so that when I moved on from the Army, I would be in good stead. The job is already very fulfilling, but the added incentive of being able to build your skills and your personal development is very attractive.”
Thanks to all our contributors for taking part in this episode of General Talk.