Some of the students who were praised for their efforts in the mock press conference
A REPRESENTATIVE from the Ministry of Defence hosted a mock press conference at Priestley College with students taking on the roles of Prime Minister and journalists.
Andy Gillman MBE – from the MOD’s Education Outreach Programme – staged the news event which gave Public Services students the diplomatic scenario of a war in Dacan and asked them how they would deal with it?
“It was an interesting way to challenge the students and ask them to think seriously about how they would tackle a potentially disastrous situation,” said Colin Whittaker, Curriculum Manager for Professional Studies.
Andy provided background to the diplomatic problems in Dacan and asked teams to consider how they would respond if they were the British Government.
Each team voted in a Prime Minister while others became Defence, Home and Foreign Secretaries with another representing the United Nations.
In the press conference they were quizzed by other students on their plans and strategies for dealing with various aspects of a conflict involving British nationals.
“Everyone embraced their roles and received an insight into what politicians have to consider in these situations,” said Colin.
The MOD’s Education Outreach Programme involves more than 40 military and civilian staff across all ranks and grades who volunteer to mentor students.
It has been run by civil servant Andy Gillman since 2002 and aims to instil lifelong skills in young people.
This skill development is achieved through a combination of initiatives including MOD mentors helping students on particular courses and hosting ‘taster’ visits to Whitehall. These help students improve their job prospects through training and having an insight into the workings of a major employer.
A number of Priestley College students will be heading to Westminster this year as part of their Professional Studies course.
As well as the BTEC Level 2 and 3 Public Services programmes there are many other courses on offer at Priestley that prepare students for life in public services including economics, law, travel and tourism.
For more details see our prospectus.
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