Learning in the Armed Forces Friday, June 25, 2010 - 22:06

Up to half of the recruits joining the Army enter training with literacy or numeracy skills at levels at or below those expected of a primary school leaver.

As the British Army's strategic Basic Skills partner, NIACE advises on the development and implementation of an Army literacy, language and numeracy policy. NIACE has also helped with the professional development of the Army's own Basic Skills practitioners, with piloting embedded Basic Skills provision in military training and with innovative teaching approaches as well as with developing specialist Basic Skills tools.

Other current work focuses on:

• preparing the Army for the introduction of Functional Skills qualifications and provision during 2010-12 to replace all its literacy and numeracy provision; and
• managing a three-year research study - sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) - that will track and review basic skills learning experiences of up to 1,600 Army recruits through their first two years of Service.

Martin Rose, Programme Director (Army Development) at NIACE, said:

"The Army works not only to train its annual intake of around 12,000 soldier recruits in the skills of soldiering, but also to improve their levels of basic education, so that they are better placed to take advantage of training and career opportunities."

"As far as NIACE's involvement goes, context is everything. Unless the Basic Skills support is made directly relevant to the soldiers, their jobs and their careers and unless it is made available at a time, a pace and a way that fits their demanding lives, then getting their buy-in and that of their bosses, will become little more than an aspiration."

Herbert Goredema, aged 34, was recognised with a 2010 Adult Learners' Week, for being among the highest achievers in a class of top-flight officers in the Army, RAF and Navy, studying Hospitality and Food Service Management.

A self-confessed technophobe, Corporal ‘Herbie' Goredema studied entirely through distance learning using Westminster Kingsway College's virtual learning environment. He was praised by Clare Mannall, his nominator and college team leader, for using his IT skills in very challenging circumstances.

Stationed in Kenya with only 30 minutes Internet access a day, he won special permission to sit a two-hour finance exam online only to have the system crash halfway through.

Clare said:

"Undeterred, Herbie came back the next day and completed the exam and got excellent marks too. He beat all his colleagues in terms of grades and showed them you can study full-time and work full-time without getting behind."

He is now used by the army to encourage other junior ranks to sign up for Degree studies.
 
Herbie, who is hoping to continue on to a Masters Degree, said:

"They say knowledge is power and it's only true when you have the knowledge. This course has improved my reading skills, confidence, knowledge and computer skills, to mention only a few."