Local cadet Ashley Kelland has been named top of his class.LC Grant Morris with Ashley Kelland after he won the WO1 Chris Tews Taiaha for top student at the under officers course held last week. Photo supplied

Kelland attended the under-officers course held at the New Zealand police college last week.

The week-long course saw 36 cadets from around the country learning skills that would allow them to carry out basic admin tasks, conduct basic trainings and to prepare them for officer training.

The students were assessed on what they had learned at the end of the course with Kelland receiving the WO1 Chris Tews Taiaha for top student.

Kelland has been a member of the Ashburton Cadet Unit for just over five years.

He said he decided to join after the cadets visited Ashburton Intermediate and the main draw to the cadets was the opportunities available.

“You get the opportunity to do things that not many people get to do.

“Not a lot of people have flown in air force planes,” Kelland said.

This is the third course Kelland had attended in the sequence, having completed the junior and senior NCO courses, both held at Burnham Military Camp.

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 3 February 2017