Army Foundation College
| Army Foundation College Harrogate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
1947–1996 (as the Army Apprentices School, Harrogate) 3 August 1998–to date |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Role | Phase 1 Training Establishment |
| Size |
~1,300 soldiers under training ~500 permanent staff |
| Part of | Initial Training Group (ITG) |
| Location | Uniacke Barracks, Penny Pot Lane, Harrogate HG3 2SE |
| Motto(s) | Trust, Courage, Team Spirit |
| Colours | Red, Yellow & Green |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Lt Col Will Strickland OBE |
The Army Foundation College is located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. It is the only British Army Phase 1 establishment that delivers junior entry basic training (males and females aged between 16-17). Given the age of the junior soldiers and the comparatively greater time they have at the College, there is a far wider focus than simply military training (such as education, leadership and initiative training, adventurous training and sport and skill).[1]
History
The Royal Signals Apprentices School was established in Harrogate to provide of military and vocational training for the Royal Corps of Signals in 1947 and was renamed the Army Apprentices College in 1966.[2] It was still focused on signals training when it closed in 1998.[2] It reopened as the Army Foundation College to provide training for a broader range of combat arms and services in September 1998.[2] The Association of Harrogate Apprentices was reformed in 1999.[3] The Army Foundation College was rebuilt by Jarvis under a Private finance initiative contract between 2000 and 2002.[2]
Training
There are two courses:[4]
- The Junior soldiers on the longer 42-week course marched off the square to the second phase of their training in the Infantry, Royal Artillery and Royal Armoured Corps.There are 2 different entry points and graduations per year - September and March entry points with August and February graduations respectively.
- Junior Soldiers on the shorter 22-week course designed for other cap badges will head for the longer more specialist phase of their training which could be anything from being a vehicle mechanic with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to becoming a communications systems operator with the Royal Signals.[5] There are 2 different entry points and graduations per year - September and March entry points with August and February graduation respectively.
Education
Junior soldiers can study towards getting vocational qualifications in Maths, English and IT.[6] where subjects are tailored to practical applications.[7] Through military training and vocational education, soldiers at the college gain the soldiering skills needed for the British Army. TQ Pearson is responsible for delivering the vocational education and other parts of the skills training to learners at the AFC.[8]
On graduation, 100 per cent of the Junior Soldiers had achieved Level One English, while 86 per cent had gained a level two qualification which is the equivalent of a GCSE A*-C.The college also had a ‘tremendous success rate’ with Maths, with 62 per cent of the teenagers arriving with Level One or below but, on gradation, 95 per cent had achieved a Level One and 68 per cent had Level Two.[9]
See also
- Association of Harrogate Apprentices – includes a general history of Uniacke Barracks
- Selection and Training in the British Army
References
- ↑ "Army Foundation College Harrogate - Regiment History, War & Military Records & Archives". www.forces-war-records.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Army Foundation College, Harrogate – History" (PDF). Method Publishing. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ↑ Colonel Cliff Walters. Army apprentices Harrogate. halsgrove. p. 156. ISBN 1 84114 2182.
- ↑ "British Army Phase 1: Initial Military Training". Boot Camp and Military Fitness Institute. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ↑ "500 junior soldiers graduate from the Army Foundation College". Harrogate Informer. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ↑ "Junior Soldier at Army Foundation College". Plotr. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ Williams, Zoe (2014-02-21). "Why an army education is hard not to admire | Zoe Williams". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ "What's New? | TQ Education & Training". www.tq.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ "Hundreds of Junior Soldiers pass-out at Harrogate's Army Foundation College". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
External links
- Army Foundation College, Harrogate - on British Army official website
- Lieutenant General Sir Herbert Uniacke KCB KCMG
Coordinates: 53°59′38″N 1°35′51″W / 53.9939°N 1.5974°W