By James Broadhurst

Published at 12:48, Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Military veterans are helping school pupils develop their skills to get a job.

SkillForce instructor Rowan Carr with Ashleigh Elliott and Kieran Brown

SkillForce, a charity which sees ex-military personnel work with young people in schools, have been visiting West Cumbria Learning Centre in Distington for one day a week this academic year.

The school takes pupils who have been excluded, or who are at risk of permanent exclusion, from mainstream schools.

Rowan Carr and Adrian Schultz, of SkillForce, go to the school once a week to help develop the pupils’ social skills and gain alternative educational qualifications.

These include an ASDAN employability qualification, which covers how to fill in application forms and how to search for jobs.

Mr Schultz was a chef in the army for 22 years and Mr Carr has a background in youth and educational work.

Mr Carr, 44, said: “It’s more about developing them as individuals. Enhancing their communication skills and how they work with others.

“There has been an improvement. You are not always going to get through to all of them. Every time that you do get a breakthrough, that’s what gets you up in the morning.

“It’s good work and rewarding at times but challenging also.”

They also take the pupils out on a trip once a month. Last month they visited the Maritime Museum in Liverpool and last week they went on the Via Ferrata at Honister Slate Mine.

Mr Carr said: “We do trips that take them out of their comfort zone.”

Steve Osmond, deputy headteacher at West Cumbria Learning Centre, said: “The attendance is far higher when we have got SkillForce in. The motivation of the kids to succeed and relationships with staff are really excellent.”

Ashleigh Elliott, 15, said she always looks forward to the weekly SkillForce sessions.

She added: “It’s absolutely wicked. I like everything about it, especially going on trips.”

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk