My Experience of the Royal Navy Leadership Programme

I undertook the Royal Navy Undergraduate Leadership Programme (ULP) in my final year. It was a great opportunity for me to stretch myself outside my comfort zone and to experience something challenging. I really enjoyed doing this programme, this gave me an in-depth knowledge of the leadership skills required in Royal Navy.

This leadership programme was organised in four different events. The first three events took place at selected UK university campuses, which includes roughly eight/ten universities.

The first three activities were the followings:

1. ULP Socials
2. Practical Leadership Event
3. Theoretical Leadership Event

I went to the Loughborough University to attend these events. It was a great opportunity to network with Royal Navy engineers and to take part in team challenges and leadership activities.

The fourth and final stage of the programme was a two-day event that took place at the Royal Navy base in Portsmouth.

The final event was quite challenging, this included team challenges which develop leadership as well as team working skills.

The first day’s activity was to save a ‘sinking ship’, which was also my favourite one. We were divided into teams and our challenge was to block the various holes to stop the water entering into the ship. We were all prepared with our wetsuits and we were given some wooden blocks, hammer etc. to use them to block the holes. The water was entering so forcefully that it was already at my neck level, it was literary felt like a real-life situation.

Image source: Royal Navy website (https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/levels-of-entry/graduates/ulp)

The second day was about going through the Royal Navy assault course which included net climbing, tunnels, rope swing, water dippers, wall climbing among others. It was fun, muddy and challenging.

Image source: Assault Course (http://www.stagdoparty.co.uk)

The below video shows some of the activities that I went through.

Video source: Royal Navy website (https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/levels-of-entry/graduates/ulp)

I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in it and at the end, I also received a certificate from the Royal Navy for completing this ‘Leadership and Management Training’.

I would highly recommend other students to take part as well, you will be able to develop your leadership skills further through fun and challenging activities.

Please visit this website for more information:

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/levels-of-entry/graduates/ulp

If you have any questions for me, feel free to comment 🙂