I support the comments about the OTC that I've read here. When I went to Uni I had gone with the firm intention of joining the RAF (I had already been given an IOT after A levels but declined it). Like the OP's son, at the Freshers Fair, I approached the UAS as the natural place to go but was struck by their very narrow set of interests. I then had a chat with the guys on the OTC stall and the whole deal was far more attractive. So I spent 3 years having a whale of a time in the 'Armoured Corps Wing', hoofing around the city and county in Foxes and Ferret scout cars and generally having a great time (and getting paid!). Throughout that time I wore my RAF stablebelt (mainly to annoy the Col) and joined the RAF immediately after graduation from Uni. I would echo comments that the OTC syllabus helped me enormously at IOT.