5–11 October 2026
This National Cadets Week, we’re celebrating UK Cadet Forces members everywhere. This includes several young team members working right here at Diggerland!
Cadets give young people the chance to learn new skills, make friends, take on challenges and build confidence. These skills can be useful in lots of different jobs and careers, including working at a Diggerland park.
At Diggerland, our marshals help keep our parks safe, exciting and fun for everyone. Some of our marshals are also members of the Army Cadets, Sea Cadets or Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Here they learn skills that can be used both at work and in everyday life.
Meet Luke from Diggerland Kent
One of our marshals at Diggerland Kent is Luke, who is enjoying his first season working at the park.
Luke is also a member of the Army Cadets and has big plans for his future. He hopes to join the Royal Engineers when he is older.
The Royal Engineers are part of the British Army and use engineering skills to help solve problems, build things and support other members of the Armed Forces.
For Luke, working at Diggerland is giving him the chance to gain useful experience while he works towards his future career.
“Being in the Army Cadets has taught me discipline, teamwork and confidence. Working at Diggerland is helping me use those skills while also learning about machinery, safety and responsibility. I hope the experience I gain here will help me when I join the Royal Engineers.”
— Luke, Diggerland Kent Marshal & Army Cadet
From Cadets to Diggerland
Being a cadet is about much more than wearing a uniform. Cadets learn important skills such as:
- Teamwork – learning how to work well with other people.
- Communication – listening carefully and making yourself understood.
- Leadership – taking responsibility and helping others.
- Discipline – following instructions and doing things properly.
- Confidence – having a go at new challenges.
- Resilience – staying calm and carrying on when something is difficult.
- Problem-solving – thinking about how to solve a problem safely.
These are all skills that can be useful when working at Diggerland.
Our marshals have an important job. They must communicate clearly with visitors, follow strict rules, and operate all rides safely.
Learning about real construction machinery
Another exciting thing about working at Diggerland is getting hands-on experience around real construction machinery.
Our parks feature machines from well-known manufacturers, including Komatsu PC210 excavators, Thwaites dumpers and JCB 3CX machines, as well as many other pieces of construction equipment.
Although our machines are used in a theme park environment, learning how to work safely around and operate construction machinery can teach valuable skills.
For someone like Luke, who hopes to join the Royal Engineers, this experience can be especially interesting.
Construction and engineering equipment can play an important role in the work carried out by the Armed Forces. Experience of machinery can help young people understand things such as controls, machine movements, working safely around heavy equipment and the importance of following procedures.
Of course, working at Diggerland isn’t the same as working in the Armed Forces. Military training is much more specialised and is provided by the Armed Forces themselves. But the experience of working responsibly around construction machinery can help young people develop a strong foundation of practical skills and safety awareness.
Safety always comes first
One of the biggest lessons that both cadets and Diggerland marshals learn is that safety is everyone’s responsibility.
At Diggerland, our teams carry out important safety checks throughout the day.
Before the park opens, machinery and rides are checked to make sure everything is ready for our visitors.
Safety checks don’t stop once the park opens. Throughout the day, the Diggerland staff teams continue to monitor the rides and equipment during the day, including checks between ride users where required.
At the end of the day, further checks and procedures are completed before the park closes.
This means our marshals need to be focused, responsible and willing to follow safety rules every time.
For young people interested in a future career in engineering, construction or the Armed Forces, learning to follow safety procedures carefully and consistently is a very important skill.
Skills for the future
Being a cadet and working at Diggerland can give young people opportunities to learn skills that can help them in the future.
A cadet might learn how to work as part of a team, while their job at Diggerland could give them more experience of working with customers, machinery and safety procedures.
They can learn that being responsible isn’t just about knowing what to do, it’s about doing it correctly every single time.
For Luke, these experiences are helping him take steps towards his dream of joining the Royal Engineers.
And he isn’t the only young person who can benefit from experiences like these. Whether someone dreams of becoming an engineer, a soldier, a mechanic, a construction worker, a teacher or something completely different, learning teamwork, discipline, confidence and responsibility can help them along the way.
Celebrating our cadets
This National Cadets Week, we’re proud to recognise the young people and adult volunteers who give their time to the Cadet Forces.
At Diggerland, we’re delighted that some of our team members are able to bring the skills they learn through cadets into their roles at our parks.
From teamwork and leadership to machinery awareness and a strong focus on safety, these skills can make a real difference.
And who knows? The young people learning and growing through the Cadets today could be the engineers, leaders and professionals of tomorrow.
Happy National Cadets Week from everyone at Diggerland!
Information correct as of posting – October 2026
