Leeds City College

Our Public Services students have been gaining hands-on experience working with emergency and armed forces professionals in Italy.

The learners, accompanied by staff, spent two weeks in the Borgo region where they learned emergency essentials from Vigili de Fuoco (Fire and Rescue), Carabinieri (Police), and Alpini (Army Mountain troops) teams.

Funded by the Turing scheme UK and delivered in collaboration with Vasulgana C Sport, the trip also gave the Levels 1 -3 Entry to Uniformed Services Diploma students a chance to learn Italian, visit high-profile sporting events and explore the country’s cities.

Meeting the military and armed forces

To kick the trip off, the group travelled to Borgo Valsunguna and visited a local branch of the Carabinieri, the military arm of Italy’s two police forces. While there, they learned about the history of the 200-year-old force, which carries out domestic and foreign policing duties, and had a Q&A session with the station’s captain and marshals.

Level 3 student Jack Huddart was impressed. He said: “My visit to the Italian police station has inspired me to pursue my goal of being a police officer further. I am thankful for the opportunity as I now have a wider understanding of international policing.”

During their stay, the students also took part in weekly self-defence classes led by a trained police officer, who demonstrated how to protect yourself while on duty.

Their meeting with the Alpini, meanwhile – the Italian army’s specialist mountain infantry – gave them a chance to speak to the troops and find out what it takes to join.

Learning to fight fires

Another highlight was spending an action-packed day at a local fire and rescue service, where the students participated in exercises that simulated real-life fire rescue work. Those included taking on obstacle courses and ladder climbs while wearing full protective gear, complete with oxygen tanks and masks.

Level 3 student and aspiring firefighter, Emily Dunn, said: “Being able to participate in these activities has given me an insight into what my future career could look like.”

Our students got to observe the Vigili del Fuoco and Red Cross in action, too, during a collaborative training exercise that simulated a car crash – with some of our learners playing the casualties.

Sporting new skills

There was also time for some leisure activities, including orienteering, swimming, volleyball and trekking.

One of the trip’s sporting highlights came in the second week when students travelled to a lake in Trento and learned rowing techniques before competing in a dragon boat race with students from Northwest Regional College.

The group also got to enjoy a basketball match featuring Aquila Trento, and a Serie A football match between Hellas Verona and Genoa.

There was plenty of cultural entertainment too, including trips to historical landmarks like Verona, Levico, Fort Benne, and the Pompieri Bogo Caserman, along with Italian language lessons.

Making memories and building careers

Coach Sidra Choudhary, who accompanied the group, said: “The students gained practical knowledge and skills that could easily be transferred to public services in the UK. “They were also able grow in confidence, maturity and independence.”

Level 3 student Molly Smith added: “I found this experience very useful, especially for future employment. I have also made lasting memories with the group of people I was with.”