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Armed Forces

Where to Start
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  • Do your research online - decide which force you want to join, what job role you are interested in and check that you meet the requirements for age, qualifications, fitness and medical. If you want to join before you are 18 you will need to talk through your plans with your parent/guardian because you will need their permission before you join,

  • Visit the local Armed Forces Careers Office in Sheffield for an informal chat - Townhead House, Townhead Street, Sheffield, S1 2EE 01142 706194 - no appointment needed, open Monday to Friday 8.30 - 5.00pm.

  • Once you are ready to apply you can either apply online or ring the national recruitment telephone number:

    Army - Call 0345 600 80 80 or apply online at - https://www.army.mod.uk/myaccount/AccountManagement/Account/LogOn

    RAF - Call 0345 605 5555

    Navy - Call 0345 607 5555

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The British Army
Entry Requirements

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To join the Army, you must

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  • Be at least 16 years old, but can apply from 15 years and 7 months - if you are under 18, you will need consent from a parent/guardian,

  • Meet the army nationality and residency requirements (see the Citizenship page of the British Army website for details),

  • Pass a full army medical examination,

  • Pass recruitment tests including the British Army Recruit Battery Test (BARB) - see http://www.army.mod.uk/join/20281.aspx for more details.

If you are aged between 12 and 18 you can become a member of the where you you can enjoy sports, expeditions, outdoor adventure and other Army-themed activities - click on link for more details.

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If you are aged between 16 and 17 years and five months, you could apply for the school leavers’ course at the Army Foundation College at Harrogate - click on link for more details - http://www.army.mod.uk/training_education/24420.aspxd  

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If you are interested in being an Engineering or Logistics Officer in the Army, RAF or Navy and are predicted A/B grades in GCSE Maths and Science and a C in English Language, you could apply to Welbeck Defence 6th Form College in Loughborough  - see http://www.dsfc.ac.uk/index.asp for more details.

 

Careers

 

There are over 220 job roles within the Army to choose from so you need to research what area you are interested in. Choose from Combat, Engineering, Logistics and Support, Intelligence, IT and Comms, HR and Finance, Medical and Music and Ceremonial.

You may need certain qualifications for technical roles, such as in engineering or communications, but for some job roles you will not need any qualifications. Check the entry criteria for job roles at http://www.army.mod.uk/rolefinder/

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The Royal Air Force
Entry Requirements

 

To join the RAF, you must

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  • Be at least 16 years old, but can apply from 15 years and nine months - if you are under 18, you will need consent from your parent/guardian. Some job roles have higher age requirements,

  • Meet certain nationality and residency criteria,

  • Pass a medical assessment. Some medical conditions may prevent you from joining and some roles have eyesight and height requirements - see https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/how-to-apply/eligibility-check/ for more details.

If you are aged between 13 and  17 years old you can join the  where you get to do a variety of activities such as flying, gliding, target shooting, adventure training, sports and camps - click on link  for more details.

Careers

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There are over 50 RAF careers. Choose from Air Operations Support, Aircrew, Communications and Intelligence, Logistics, Medical, Personnel, Security and Defence and Technical and Engineering.

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There are some jobs for which you need minimal qualifications, some that you can only join if you have certain specialist skills, and others that require a degree – make sure you check what qualifications are needed for the job role you are interested in at https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/roles/

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The Royal Navy
Entry Requirements

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To join the Navy, you must

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  • Be at least 16 years old, but can apply from 15 years and nine months  - if you are under 18, you will need consent from a parent/guardian. Some job roles have higher age requirements,

  • Meet certain nationality and residency criteria,

  • Pass a Pre-Joining Fitness Test and a medical and eye examination - see http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Careers/How-to-Join/Eligibility for more details,

  • Pass a Recruit Test (RT) which will tests specific academic ability. There are four separate parts of the test which you need to complete during a strict time limit. These measure your General reasoning, Verbal ability, Numeracy and Mechanical comprehension  - see http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Careers/How-to-Join/Tests-and-interviews#tab_1 to download a test booklet.

If you are aged between 10 and 18 you can join the where you can do things such as sailing, kayaking, canoeing, abseiling and rock climbing - click on link for more details.

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Careers
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There are a number of careers to choose from, including the Royal Marine Commandos. Choose from Combat and Leadership, Engineering and Maintenance, Logistics, Medicine and Healthcare, Music, Personal Support, Seamanship and Technology and Communication.

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There are different entry requirements depending upon what job you want to do and whether you wan to join as a Rating or as an Officer.

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