So there are a lot of parallels between shooting and AT then it would seem, in that in the first instance, the “squadron level training” ie. a day walk/local ex or air rifle shooting, requires ott courses.
The trouble there is it doesn’t encourage staff to ‘dip their toes’ in an activity. For example, if doing a day walk, or rifle shooting on squadron gave a staff member a taste for the activity and they enjoy it, they’d gladly go on the next round of training for the next stages.
The similarity to shooting here is relatively interesting;
AT - Trekking
Have an interest in walking and complete 10 quality walking days, by having an interest you probably already have most of these and you can attach on to existing activities to see how things are run. Mustn’t forget the NGB registration fee
Complete initial training weekend. Local cost is £30, can be greater externally if doing a local course this is offset by VA
Increase logged walks to a total of 20 to consolidate training.
Complete assessment weekend. Local cost is £30, can be greater externally if doing a local course this is offset by VA
Deliver day walks to cadets.
Complete optional expedition training weekend. Local cost is £30, can be greater externally if doing a local course this is offset by VA
Deliver expeditions to cadets.
Full nothing to qualified is 20 day walks + 2 weekends and optional extra weekend.
Shooting
Have an interest in shooting and get trained in the CSBTR on a single day and then undergo some LFMT
Complete SATT coaching course over a weekend.
Complete IWT on the L98 over a weekend
Consolidate weapon handling with some LFMT
Attend 2 consecutive weekends for the SA(SR)07 course, which requires additional time mid week to generate the RSD for final assessment.
Deliver short ranges to cadets
Attend optional SA(K)17 course to allow further support of LR shooting over a weekend.
Attend optional SA(LR)07 course over a weekend, SA(K)17 is a pre-req
Deliver long ranges to cadets.
Minimum of 3 weekend days and 4 weekends before you can deliver short ranges. Experience can’t be gained away from cadets.
I think shooting is harder and requires more effort/commitment.
Coming to this a bit late…
I went through the BEL training as a CI some years ago. Attended all the training weekends ready for assessment then a couple of days before my work pattern changed and I could no longer make it. Fortunately at that time I was one of 4 from my squadron on the course so we then had 3 staff member BEL qualified. Spent the next X number of years supporting them with expeds before they all eventually left the organisation.
I then went on to complete my HML training at Windermere which was a great course and introduced me to some new experiences such as night nav. I then again struggled to get on an assessment and couldn’t really justify the 400+ mile journey to complete at Fairbourne. So instead I jumped accross to the LLA award and completed the assessment within my region followed 2 weeks later by the exped module.
Although I’ve done it all in a bit of a strange order I would say the LLA is ideal for squadrons who intend on running little day walk/nav training away from unit. Commitment levels are arguably minimal compared to other course levels and allow individuals to complete at their own pace.
Plus if you ever do your HML assessment the Expedition Module is still valid.
My current issue with AT Quals is the gap I fall into.
I want to one day, (and it’s taking YEARS to get there) run a water based DofE exped.
The problem is that I could have all of the water based Quals in the world, but wouldn’t be able to supervise the cadets camping on the bank. Because that needs a BEL or exped module, and I don’t want to do those because I don’t want to waste perfectly good paddling days walking.
Can you not do a BCU guide module?
There is/was an Camp Craft and Expedition Skills course.
Not sure if it’s been taken out with the new qualifications or not
Have you put a call out to your wing to see if any BEL staff would be willing to do land-support for the overnight camping? I’m BEL qualified and I’d definitely do this if it led to expeditions that weren’t walking-based!
Yes you can and it’s a work around we have used, but @Baldrick’s problem is that he can’t be self sufficient very easily.
BC do run a guide module but all run externally so cost a lot. You need to do 3/5 modules and need to have held a leadership qualification for 2 years minimum before you can use it.
The Guide Module also has an annual currency cost, which is off-putting.
That’s if you choose to go for Guide certification. Just doing the campcraft module might be ok, but I’m not sure if there is an assessment element or not off hand.
There is now a multi-day touring PPA, which presumably includes some kind of campcraft and is also assessed. So that might be a solution - I’ll have a butchers at the documents later.
Edit: had a quick look and it might be suitable, but is a fairly advanced level from the paddling skills - Force 4 winds, grade 2 rivers, lakes with 1km of fetch etc. Does include a component about kit & equipment etc. I’ll ask the question.
I know Andy will add the Guide module to the ACATI, if anyone ever does it. I don’t think we need the whole qual, but the BC website is useless sometimes on providing actual defail, so I don’t know.
I just want a stand alone bolt on module to let cadets sleep in a tent, it’s not exactly complicated, and I’m apparently more than qualified to let them sleep in an improvised shelter instead?
Do you mean from a fieldcraft angle, or a canoe leader angle?
Can you just do the ESM? I suspect not and that you need to have the full LLA or HML as well.
Yeah, that’s correct. Need to have passed your Lowland Leader Assessment.
Andy will recertify us for the guide module I believe, and would approve them as an appropriate supervision qualification for camping.
But still finding an external provider is quite challenging. I was going to do one back in Feb but as I hadn’t had my leadership qualifications for 2 year then I didn’t see the point, I’d rather wait and do it when I could use them. As you need to do the 3 modules it’s a minimum of 2 weekends to get them done, and from memory it wasn’t cheap. £80 per day maybe? Can’t quite remember…
Edit: obviously not including the BC course registration.
Fieldcraft. Call the overnight aspect a fieldcraft ex and I can supervise it all I like.
I did ask if I could just do an ESM, but it was a no. I was just told LLA is easy, do that. But the thing is, it’s not easy, if you don’t do any walking. (Closest I get is Road Marching, which crucially isn’t trekking, hence I can do that too.)
It just seems to me to be the sort of narrow aspect we could do reasonably do as CTE, with a Corps approved accreditation.
Anywho, I may as well use some of the time I have on my hands now to get some logbook days in.
In the Scouts you have to attend an NSRA accredited course (2 days) first so the requirements for leaders are similar to ATC. Granted less admin for the participants
Out of interest, why is it taking years?
I imagine the qualifications needed to get to a position when @Baldrick can operate independently (open canoe leader or white water canoe leader now, or l2 coach I guess), plus then the training element for the cadets which will take the best part of a year depending on level (im thinking gold), plus then the planning of the expedition itself.
I suppose if you went Bronze you could do it with a Paddlesport leader and this new Paddlesport touring leader that I don’t have any details of?