Army cadets have a strong moral compass, make friends with those outside their usual social circle and are less likely to have their collar felt by the law, an academic behind a series of reports into the youth groups has claimed.
Dr Simon Denny said those joining up had an overwhelmingly good experience and emerged better placed to take their lives forward in work or education.
The rewards were even greater for those aspiring to a military career – youngsters were attuned to the required standards and more likely to stay in uniform for the long haul, he added.
Denny was speaking after the publication of his latest study, focused on school-based Combined Cadet Forces.
The document, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and produced by the University of Northampton, says the CCF programme makes sound financial sense while offering a raft of beneficial pay-offs for the young people involved.
Researchers calculated a £120 million annual return if just one per cent of joiners had better life outcomes. They also found the CCF generates £10,000 per year in savings by reducing the need for interventions to address behaviour and attendance in school.
But Denny said the positives went well beyond cash returns, with social benefits too.
The academic, who served as an officer in The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, told Soldier: “Cadet organisations provide opportunities for young people from different backgrounds to meet in an environment that is separate from the classroom.
“They are less likely to get into trouble with the police and they are well placed for the future. Whether someone wants to study at Oxford or go into a job, the fact they have been a cadet gives them something different to others in their peer group.
“And if they choose to join the armed forces, they are more likely to understand the requirements, pass their initial training and stay in their chosen service for longer.”
Senior government decision-makers have said they will be looking closely at Denny’s report, called The Impact and Value of School-based Cadet Forces in the UK.
After presenting more than a dozen teenagers from the youth groups with the King’s Coronation Medal at their Frimley Park training centre, defence minister Alaistair Carns said the government would examine how they could build on the success of the organisations.
Op Herrick veteran Carns, who served with the Royal Marines and is now a reservist, said the cadet forces provided members with life skills and opportunity.
With many of them also going on to serve, the Selly Oak MP said the MoD would mull over the research and consider how it could bolster these organisations.
Meanwhile, parents and close relatives of teenagers at the presentation praised the cadet forces for engendering youngsters with a strong moral compass and solid life skills.
Nicole Hoydan, whose 17-year-old son Ollie was among those parading at Frimley, said: “Army cadets is like a family – and it helps those joining to form friendships.
Grandmother Mary Havie agreed.
“The cadets learn to respect each other – that’s important,” she added.
