A GROUP of students from a Poole school spent the day with the Royal Navy to inspire their future career choices.

Sixteen pupils from Lytchett Minster School visited HMS Sultan with the Jon Egging Trust, which was set up in memory of the pilot who died at the end of a display in Bournemouth in 2011. His family set up a charity in his name which aims to provide teamwork, leadership and work experience opportunities to young people to help them to chase their dreams.

The secondary school children visited the Defence College of Technical Training’s two schools within HMS Sultan which are the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School (RNAESS) and the Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE).

As well as taking a tour of the facilities, they also got to try a number of tasks including the replacement of aircraft components using hand tools, wearing sea survival equipment and boarding a life raft.

Lieutenant Commander Dave Bartlett, who organised the visit, said: “It was great to see the students being inspired by their visit to HMS Sultan.

"The hands-on experience working with the aircraft and marine engineers of the Royal Navy gave them a real excitement and insight to the work that we do on a daily basis."

The young people also got the chance to trainees from HMS Sultan about their experiences as air and marine engineering technicians on the Navy's latest helicopters, ships, and submarines.

Kaye Jackson, a youth liaison officer for the Jon Egging Trust, said that the visit had had a huge impact on the students.

She added: "It was a real eye-opener for everyone. Talking to young Royal Naval students and being in the limelight are all new experiences and the visit was also educational, by showing them skills beyond the classroom.

"The Jon Egging Trust is about helping young people be the best they can be and the experience given to the young people by HMS Sultan has given them something to aspire to. It was a super day."