Are instructor cadets still supposed to exist?

Mean I’ve only seen them on a camp by camp basis, but they definitely don’t exist in central.

Wouldn’t be shocked if most the people who I seen where from NI or even SESW

Yeh, there’s always been that point where you start losing people. Being able to refocus their interest with staff quals and training while they’re really keen and have loads of flexibility would be a great investment.

I’ve previously even suggested a cadet to CFAV transition camp over the summer while they have loads of time off, using that to put them through training and useful quals for AT, shooting etc

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I wish I had the ability to send really good senior Cadets away on a course and have them magically come back prepared to be useful Junior CFAVs.

I’ve just started a mentoring programme with one of my new staff who has, in the last year, finished Year 13 and now on board with us as staff.

One of my focuses is breaking the Cadet mindset, and have them actively thinking about scenarios before they need doing, keeping themselves occupied with necessary tasks within their remit etc.
More mindset focused than ‘go away and achieve qualification X’

(CCF Army - YMMV)

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Would love to hear more from you as you develop this idea!

I’ve had a mental year and my ability to mentor effectively has suffered of late.

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I know everyone has a unique set of circumstances and it’s not viable for everyone, but I found changing units when making the transition incredibly helpful in this regard.

It’s still something that’s taken conscious effort, but I suspect it would have been much more difficult if I were trying to make that transition around the folk I’d been cadets alongside.

I think there is benefit to the RAFAC policy requiring a min 6 month break having the ability for exceptions to be made where it’s genuinely not feasible for someone but I think it’s definitely important as standard.

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Found some very far away from SNI

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They aren’t even wearing a yellow lanyard - so as well as wearing an incorrect rank slide, they potentially aren’t even an instructor cadet!

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Maybe they just didn’t want to wear the lanyard :joy:

I’ve seen the Sqn post it’s from and there are 2 CWO’s

This one who’s not an instructor cadet but has the tapes
And one who is but just has the normal slides

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I’m honestly impressed there’s any of those tapes left. Should be over 10 years since any were used!

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Just wanted to comment on this speaking from my own experience it’s normally when the wing staff officer has ran out of normal rank slides so they tend to just use any CWO just for a photo.

I had the same issue when I became CWO I have to just cover the instructor cadet when holding my rank slide. Unsure if they is just a lack of new CWO sides as I am not the only one from what I’ve heard.

A couple of years ago, when we ordered rank slides from clothing stores, I once ordered Staff Cadet CWO Rank Slides and Staff Cadet Sgt Rank slides.

Our order was CWO Rank slides without the Staff Cadet on it (useless to ATC at the time before they lowered the age to 17) and we also received Instructor Cadet Sgt Rank slides.

So, it could well be that clothing stores issued them. Thankfully, we now order through the the Region Hub.