What do you think is the best method for advertising a HQAC AT courses? To get the most visibility and make the application process easier.
I’m thinking specifically of a CFAV paddling exped in the planning for the back end of 2021, whilst we still only have cadet (not Staff) portal. There are a few options:
Create SMS and invite the whole Corps - bit bunk, will annoy people who don’t care.
Email calling letter - potentially filtered out by chain of command / OCs briefcase
AT Portal - news story with link to the SMS application / MS Forms application form.
Add to course list and apply using normal form based application process
I would email WATTOs/RATTOs and ask them to push, add to the course calendar (assuming you want applicants from all over), host some info on the AT portal (is there one?).
Email people you know who are likely to be interested and get them to pass it on too? There aren’t that many paddlers in the corps are there?
Obviously how to get to CCF staff is another issue, but count me in
I suspect there aren’t that many, no, but I also suspect such opportunities never reach quite a few people (given how many times I’m asked where to find the course calendar).
The danger is that not everyone has a cadet email account (or don’t check the general account even though they should)so there is a reliance on OCs/Sqn staff with accounts forwarding it on. That applies even if it is WATTOs .
Is there a corp lead for AT/paddling as it would make sense for it to come from them, then everyone gets it the same time (if they have a Sqn account) appreciate my point above still stands.
Email via relevent AT post holders coupled with a post on Bader and social media posts (some of our Sqn staff rely on SM and it annoys me no end).
I have a little less sympathy for this argument… if you would like to avail yourself of the opportunites the organisation offers, learn how to use the systems that advertise said opportunites.
If access is being denied by gatekeepers, that’s a different question I guess, and what I am trying to minimise with my question above.
exactly what I’d suggest too - but also note there may be CFAVs who paddle only outside of the Corps so WATTOs may not know everybody in their Wing who does actually paddle
yes: AT in general and then there is a paddling SME (who is famous for phrases like “it’s only a proper portage if it’s 15 km and includes 3 Munros…”)
@redowling count me in too! (although I’ve not done 3* sea…)
Pre-requisites haven’t quite been decided yet but are more likely to err on the ‘not a chump in a kayak’ side rather than a specific PPA. Filtering will probably be done by an application form to get an idea of overall experience.
for my 2 pennies i agree with @pEp and @ccw34, namely via RATTO and WATTO
use them to push it out, and dare i say it, use the CoC…it is what it is there for.
going to somewhere specific like the AT portal might be great, but people need to know about it…I didn’t know about this 4 minutes ago and people don’t know what they don’t know.
If i wasn’t on here i would have to find out either through word of mouth from another CFAV, “hey, you like paddling have you seen the opportunity on…” or more formally from a Wing Wide note from the WATTO “all, for those who are interested in paddling, please see link below for a opportunity to…”
or course that does rely on WATTOs passing it on, but you can’t account for, nor take responsibility for other peoples incompetance
