Cadets generally want to get away from the classroom routines and do something different.
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The volunteers generally want to get away from the classroom routines and do something different
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And they’re wrong.
Either that, or they really urgently need to amend our motto to “Boredom, Insanity” or some such.
Don’t get me wrong, with reference to your comment later on, there are cadets who love that classroom based stuff. I enjoyed my Air Reccie (argh! Air Sqns Trophy Air Reccie and being able to score 30/30 was glorious) and sometimes find the idea of tabletop exercises very appealing (make your own minds up)
But there was that insatiable itch to get out, doing Fieldcraft, Flying, etc. It’s like Army Cadets and TIBUA (going around built up areas) - you cannot get enough of the stuff (and I will attest to how keen they get!).
While it is probably quite inefficient to indulge in both worlds endlessly, there’s clearly a sizeable contingent of cadets and staff who want to get out and about.
Anyway, apologies for offtopic, best resume!
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Which is where we are significantly better off with our new Commandant who is a man that gets Adventure Training as opposed to his predecessor who seemed to want to spend all his time hiding under a desk.
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The SCC approach to staff development continues to impress.
Imagine having an induction process with a focus on how to work with and support young people…
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Appears that the DLE course is self enrollable. Might take a look at some point.
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Okay, this is pretty impressive. It’s simple, but actually eye opening seeing what we are fundamentally missing.
They have a course that actually talks about youth work, what it is at it’s core. This isn’t a safeguarding course, it’s actually talking about how we as volunteers are developing young people.
One of the videos is from the “HQ Staff Officer for Working with Young People”. Do we have such a role? Someone who’s job it is to look at how we develop our volunteers to work well with young people? Again, not safeguarding, actual development stuff. (They also have regional leads of the same title)
Lots of talk about informal learning helping development. Structure, but with spontaneous learning opportunities.
Video overview of the ‘standard’ training program. Shows how to find lesson plans and resources etc. Again, do we have a standard method showing this? Normally just have to learn as you go. Given how often we seem to change where lesson info is it would be hard to standardise a video! Also an ‘ideas area’ to give examples of things you can do to make the lessons more involved and add some verity.
Also outlines of the above but focus on RM cadets and juniors. Again, showing you where and how to find all the lesson plans etc.
There’s a ‘standard’ parade night power point. What volunteers should be doing and just the general order of a typical night. Lots of stuff about how we communicate within a cadet environment.
Part of that PowerPoint is basic disciplinary stuff. How to challenge bad behaviour. I’ve certainly never had any training on that from the RAFAC.
Clearly the in person training is being referred to a lot here too. This is the jist of what this bit covered:
Then there’s a whole section about different roles. I skipped this.
Genuinely an interesting flick through. I don’t necessarily think I learnt anything, but if I was a brand new member of staff, that would be super useful. Combined with the face to face learning mentioned in the Facebook post above, it would appear we really are missing some basic training here. We have AVIP, and I really don’t think it meets the needs of a volunteer who’s looking after young people.
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Yeap… Made me go back and revisit this post from 2 years ago - and reflect how nothing has really changed…
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I think this highlights more than anything why the ATc needs to cross train with the other cadet forces & have volunteers collaborate particularly at wing level in sharing ways of doing things.
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I’m adding this to my growing todo list.
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Does anybody know everybody’s favourite HQ Wing Commander’s ACC handle?
Staff volunteer development is on her list…
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I may forward this on to my HQAC contact anyhow. It’s desperately missing from RAFAC training and would definitely be useful for recent service leavers, who already have all the AVIP knowledge anyhow.
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I must say, the staff training I’ve done so far online has been excellent quality. Far better than the ATC.
I will also say, that the cadet training syllabi on Training and Admin is not as good as what the ATC offers. I’m teaching the Able Cadets Leadership at the moment, and I’m using ATC slides, because they’re better.
It’s a shame that this problem exists.
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If only we had a joint HQ where we could share good best practise across the differing orgs!
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If only the organisations spoke at all?
Oh, another thing I’d not seen before. The URNU delivered exped training at unit tonight!
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Can you link please?
I just searched “Working with young people” on DLE and it came up, about 5th on the list or something like that.
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Partner and I went aboard the Prince of Wales yesterday at the Pier Head, Liverpool. Very impressive vessel, even though we were only allowed onto the hanger deck.
The SCC were present with cadets including their band, which was excellent, very smart and very impressive yet again.
The RAFAC were there at some stage yesterday.
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Visited it on a course a couple of years ago. Really impressive.
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