TEENAGE students from three Military Preparation Colleges across South Wales had the rare opportunity to demonstrate the impact that Armed Forces training has had on their lives at a special event at the Senedd in Cardiff last week.

More than 50 students from Newport, Bridgend and Cardiff demonstrated the college’s ‘active curriculum’ to prominent members of the business, education, military and local community at the evening presentation.

The young aspiring soldiers delivered a range of physical training activities including demonstration military drills, and a rendition of Rudyard Kipling’s famous ‘If’ poem.

The event at the iconic National Assembly building on Cardiff Bay was organised by Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert, a long-time supporter of the Military Preparation College and its parent company, MPCT.

“The Military Preparation College offers hope and aspiration to young people, many of whom have had a relatively poor start to their lives; often there are historic problems of under-achievement and lack of confidence that could blight the rest of their lives,” said Jeff Cuthbert, Caerphilly AM.

“In my experience, MPCT raises their expectations by providing relevant, useful skills training and developing self-belief, team work, and motivation. I’ve seen young people completely transformed through their association with MPCT.”

Mayors and Mayoresses from across Wales were on hand for the special presentation, which was also attended by senior military personnel and patrons of the organisation’s charity, the Motivation and Learning Trust.

The college’s founder spoke about the importance of having the opportunity to demonstrate the work of MPCT to such an influential group in this location.

“It is a testament to the growth of our organisation and the lives that we have touched to date that we were provided with the rare opportunity to deliver this event in one of Cardiff’s most famous locations,” said Huw Lewis MBE, founder and managing director at the Military Preparation College.

“The support shown to us by Jeff Cuthbert AM is greatly appreciated. To us, it shows that the strides we have made to provide learning and growth opportunities to the young people of Wales are being recognised. We are always encouraging new recruits to join, so it was an honour for our learners to be able to deliver this presentation to such a prominent and highly-regarded audience.”

The Military Preparation College has helped to enlist over 2,000 young people into careers within the Armed Forces since its conception in 1999. To find out more, visit www.mpct.co.uk.