The class was built on a fictional but ‘real-life like’ crisis management scenario. It gave students from the Business School the opportunity to learn how to develop an action plan in reaction to an international crisis involving residents, business people and tourists in the UK who are trapped and unable to leave the country. 

The workshop, delivered by Andy Gillman MBE, is part of the Ministry of Defence’s award-winning outreach programme and an initiative that instils life-long skills in students studying in a number of Further Education Colleges across the UK.

Andy Gillman MBE has been taking the programme around the country for the last 17 years. He said: “This workshop gives students across a plethora of courses the opportunity to understand roles and responsibilities of government departments in a fast-moving fictional scenario. It gives them a chance to work in teams, learn to negotiate and deliver - the core skills that are needed in the employment world.”

As part of the workshop students actively participated in a ‘Ministerial’ press conference, in which some took on the roles of the Prime Minister and Ministers, while others practised being inquisitive as ‘members’ of the press.

Senior Lecturer in Business Communication, Leszek Wypych said: “The Ministry of Defence session has proven to be extremely popular and engaging for all students taking part. It gives them a unique insight into the work undertaken on home and foreign soil by a wide variety of Government staff, opening their eyes to the possibility of careers that they previously may have been unaware of.

“The workshop fits in very well with their curriculum and gives students a greater understanding of the different roles involved.”