As someone that has “recently” completed both CIC and SCC at Cranwell, i firmly believe the courses need reforming. Currently they feel like they are not targeted in a way that is usefull to CFAV’s and do not pass on any information that wings/regions have not already delivered to potential uniformed staff.
Personally i believe that the course would be much better being delivered by instructors more familiar with the challenges of “actually” being a uniformed CFAV. (When I attended only 1x of the instructors on the course was involved in the voluntary side of the air cadets)
The networking with other staff on the course was useful, but i was a little put off by the disconnect between the instructors and the actual experiences of CFAV on the courses.
When we talk about changing a course from five days to two or three weekends, they should never be consecutive weekends.
One of the significant improvements I discovered when I transferred from the Army reserve (then still called the Territorial Army or TA) to the RAF Reserves was the change from consecutive weekends to always having one weekend a month. In the TA, we’d do courses that were six week courses in the regular army over eight weekends (four consecutive, one weekend off, then four more consecutive ones) followed by a two week camp.
In the RAF Reserves, training is one weekend a month (and we are not expected to attend Sqn weekends whilst in the training pipeline) with a two week camp at either end (in separate tax / holiday years). Yes, the training takes months rather than years but it’s so much better for work / life / volunteering balance.
Agree on consecutive weekends. Plus Friday or Sunday starts when there’s no training on those nights - lose half a weekend day or half a working day getting to the location.
I do wonder if something meant to help people with longer journeys became part of the plan through habit!
This is the current programme. Apart from the drill, I really can’t see what here needs to be done centrally/residentially at a national level? The drill obviously needs some level of actual contact, but does that really need to be done nationally?
I feel like a more local weekend and/or one/two day mid-week drill course would surely be better suited for the drill element?
The only other thing there is the leadership practical exercise. Again, why can’t this be done more locally?
As written, that program could easily be delivered virtually through a digital system, then have a two-day consolidation to check drill and get some mess experience in.
I really think there is. There’s no way I’d take 5 days AL to do what is on that programme. I really don’t think it’s a good use of time. But I would take 5 days AL to help deliver a cadet camp to a few dozen cadets. Or take 5 days AL to go and properly upskill my self to be able to deliver more on the weekends.
Uniformed CFAVs who completed their training remotely due to lockdowns were banned from public parades until they could have their drill assessed by their WWO. I’m sure a similar arrangement would suffice.
We do all of our formal presentations indoors, to prevent certain people embarrassing themselves by attempting to do drill. I learnt my drill in the Army, but there are small differences (as I’m reminded every time RAF officers return my salutes with confused looks on their faces) — enough to make me grateful I’ve never had to, for example, about turn on the march in a squad of aviators.
The British Army do a Late Entry option - SNCO, I think aged over 30. There are selection / assessment criteria & if there haven’t been recent changes, the Late Entry Officers cse runs for 4 wks - instead of 42 weeks for direct entrants.
Surely RAFAC could run an abridged CIC for similarly “experienced” CFAVs, say with 8-10 yr’s experience, especially if successfully running a sqn for a couple of yrs?
I hope they’ve changed the course from when I did it during COVID. I learned absolutely FA from it that you don’t pick up on the unit by regular attendance and having half a brain cell
More broadly I’d make weekend 1 pretty basic: drill (ensuring it is actually taught), uniform prep (ditto) and essentials people going into uniform need to know.
You could do some leadership tasks and/or a presentation on day 2.
I don’t even think it needs to be residential, and could and should be fairly local.
I’d then split the rest into self study and live online modules. This would also allow specialisation - an adj or a trg off module maybe.
If the SNCOs need an extra drill bit then that could be done easily enough.
Then all up to Cranwell for a consolidation weekend, tea, medals and walking on the CHOM carpet.
If I get a new member of staff with no prior military or cadet experience and they don’t have a really clear idea of what they want to contribute, they do the next first class training programme alongside all the new recruits.
The recruits get familiar with a member of staff and a member of staff gets to learn all about the organisation and give me feedback on the programme, while also gaining a taster for drill etc and an insight as to whether going into uniform may appeal.
I was interested to know the cost of the hires that they have there, and based on some basic digging and maths, they have a “full time reserve” OC at Sqn Ldr, a WO and at least 2 F/SGT’s. I found the below in relation to the F/SGT post. It’s a min 4 year posting. Taking the base salary of the ranks (bearing in mind a OR7 F/Sgt starting is £47,676 per year) the salaries alone are at least £218,505.00. Then all courses are VA claimable for the attendees, with approx 15 courses a year, and around 15- 20 students per course which puts another £15,000 on to the bill (probably more). As long as each Wing had a CFAV development officer which most do in any case as well as a comprehensive online training package delivery via Learn. Although you could argue it’s not the same, as long as you have on squadron support from other staff and potential for supporting camps (which always need escorting staff) you are going to bring you the experience in real life situations.
Do we need to be spending over £200k on full time staff to deliver that course? That is over 2000 VA days which in theory if divided into regions could offer over 300 VA days solely for new staff training. With at least 100 days (14 full weeks) for 3 staff per region per year, sounds a better proposition , the VA claimable to Cranwell or your parent station is still going to be the same, if anything it would be less to your parent station.
I don’t think 200k is a lot of money going towards our top level training. but I think they way it is currently isn’t the best use of that money.
I do still think, what ever happens, a couple of nights at Cranwel at the end is a good idea. I just don’t think it needs to be a whole week there. Would a better use of the FTRS staff at the ATF be to produce and run online courses and/or regional level courses.
A ‘pre Cranwell’ couple of days, locally, followed by 6 months back at unit with some Wing training and online training, then a couple of nights up at Cranwell to consolidate.
Also, and this is somewhat relevant, we have a training gap between AVIP and uniform or pre uniform training. So CIs who are content as CIs, get little further training other than ‘on the job’.
Given that CIs can and do run many of our activities maybe there should be a course (or suite of online training) they can complete during probation or the first year? It seems a bit daft that some of our training is only delivered to those going into uniform.
The Adj/trg off modules I mentioned could be done by CI/NCO/CFC as needed.
I’m not sure what training you think uniformed staff get that CIs don’t. CIC doesn’t help you run activities.
There was mention of training for adj and trg off at Cranwell at some point, but I haven’t heard anything on it in a while. It’s definitely a gap that needs filling though.
As CIs don’t do the CIC - all of it? I appreciate they don’t need to do drill but much of the other content could be relevant. Still think it should be targeted to roles though.
I can’t really think which parts they’d benefit from*. HQAC run separate safeguarding training, and staff can attend leadership or MOI training within their wing. The only other elements I can think of are related to being a uniformed staff member. Some of the experience may be useful, like staying in a mess, and the networking opportunity, but they can be gained elsewhere.
*to note, I also agree with the sentiments above that the course maybe isn’t the most useful for a lot of people.
The parent service has recently announced the introduction of a six-week Commissioned Flight Sergeants’ Course, so the direction of travel is very much against ‘everyone has to do the same training, regardless of previous experience’.