Joining the armed services instead of further education

[wigglybeezer]

DS1 does not get on well with classroom based education, is not attracted to any particular vocational course apprenticeship but is attracted to joining the Royal Navy. He is 17 and would have to join as a rating as he does not have enough qualifications for officer training. I actually think it may be the right thing for him although he has had so many false starts recently that I am not counting my chickens. Anyone else with Dc's who have gone down this route?

I would also say look at the Merchant Navy. You can go to Nautical College at sixteen and train to ?ork on ships and travel the world. It's a really interesting career.

Thanks Hellzapoppin, he fancies learning about weapons though, quite difficult for me to adjust to considering I was in CND when I was his age!

Ah, yes, very few weapons on Merchant Navy vessels!
Good luck! I'd say let him have a go. If it's not right they will weed him out, or it could suit him well.

The merchant navy would be great but he doesn't meet the minimum academic requirements to get on the courses local to us.

My DS probably will go into armed services. Quite lazy about academics.
Um, it's better than being a NEET?

My cousin did this. He joined the RAF.

Honestly, it changed his life.

He went from a distracted, unmotivated, lazy teen into an adult with manners and structure, qualifications and more.

He stayed for 5-7 years, then joined the police and then banking.

My grandparents (who raised him) were and are incredibly proud.

I'm not sure if it were my son id be jumping for joy, but if it were a path they really wanted to follow then I think I would support them. Higher education in the form of college and unis isn't for everyone.

Well if he isn't going to be an officer the Navy is the second best choice, as they say

In the Army the men go out to fight and the officers stay back,
in the navy everyone goes to fight
in the RAF the officers go out to fight and the men stay back.

Of all the services the Navy seems to offer the most excitement in the future, the Army strikes me as too hard and the RAF will be all drones eventually.

The Navy certainly has a varied selection of weapons systems and working on Radar, Sonar and surveillance drones would give skills directly transferrable to civilian life.