Page 44 - RADC 2020

OR JOBS
E2 Role – AEG
LCpl L Vernon
The Army Youth Outreach Team (AYOT) is a small, diverse team within the Army Engagement Group. The purpose of this group is to go out into the wider community and engage with all areas of society to inform them about what the Army is, what it does, and to bust the common myths people have about the Army. The AYOT works specifically with young people aged between 11 -18 and we do this in schools, academies, 6th Form Colleges, Pupil Referral Units and other youth organisations.
The team is currently made up of 8 members - KHR Maj, RA Capt, PARA Sgt, RLC Cpl, REME LCpl, RA Gnr, Rifles Rfn and me. All members of the AYOT are well practiced in delivering both the presentation and activities as the number of personnel required for a job changes depending on the type of task.
A typical day for the AYOT, once we have arrived at a school or facility, would start with our interactive presentation. This is where we tell our personal stories and talk about
all the different trades, apprenticeships available, and some of the more unknown trades in the Army. This is followed by a Q&A session where all questions are welcomed and answered honestly.
After the presentation the students
are broken into small groups and we run command tasks (both in the classroom and outside) which are relevant to the age
group we are engaging with. Each member of the AYOT will lead their own activity with the students, with each group doing a round-robin of activities. The activities aim to encourage teamwork, good communication and leadership skills and some are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based. The day will finish
with a final discussion with the students on how the day went, what they feel they have achieved or learnt, and of course, give out Army branded freebies.
Outside of our routine of visiting schools and youth groups, we attend networking events for different communities and social groups. We also support youth events with Girl Guides, Army Cadets, and provide
support to engagement events organised by the military or civilian organisations. This means we spend a lot of time out on the road travelling up, down, and across the country getting to meet and engage with many different types of people.
For me, this has been one of the most enjoyable parts of this job, meeting new people and telling them about the fun times, benefits, qualifications and opportunities the Army and my trade has provided me. Many of the young people I have spoken to have never met a soldier before, let alone a female soldier, with an ethnic background, who is
a Dental Nurse and not a frontline soldier.
I have learnt a lot about the Army, the public and myself during this assignment. I know that the Army is really trying to reflect society, that the public sometimes still have a negative opinion of the Army, and that by engaging with the public, I am able to dispel more than one myth that people may have. My time within the AYOT has become one of my most enjoyable times within the Army, working alongside people with different
cap badges, mindsets and approaches
to situations. I would highly recommend anyone considering working within the Army Engagement Space to apply and give it a go!
42 RADC BULLETIN 2020