A national campaign would need a central point of contact. The ideal would be electronic form that goes from a submitted address. Pin points the nearest Sqn to that address then contacts OC & Adj of closest Sqn. Remove the Wg & Region filter…this would be covered by the WSC interview anyways.
But also resource for localised recruitment need to be forth coming.
This system already exists?
anyone can fill in the form on the national website and wing HQ gets an email of details which they should then pass on to the appropriate sqn.
It is. You are correct but its not as fluid as it should be.
I have had to wait over a month in the past for Cadet contacts to be passed on, I’ve also had staff contacts directed to other Squadrons further away because WHQ saw them more in need than me.
For me I never saw the point of National Cadet recruitment, we all recruit at our own pace and time, if HGAC run a recruitment when I’m not recruiting tags actually a hinderance.
Local materials and national staff recruitment is what’s needed.
Well that’s disappointing to hear. I’ve never had any issues in my wing fortunately.
A National campaign complements that done locally (if at all) by squadrons. It shouldn’t replace it.
I don’t think it compliments it if you aren’t taking new recruits at the time.
heard of a waiting list 
There is a difference between being told you are going on a waiting list because we aren’t recruiting right now and being told you are going on a waiting list because we aren’t recruiting right now, while we are advertising for new recruits on a national level.
^ while this is true, that could be avoided with a well planned and communicated campaign.
If you knew, with 6-12 months notice, that a campaign was going to run you could plan an intake appropriately?
Well that’s never going to happen is it? It would happen as it has in the past just get dropped on us at 10 minutes notice.
Besides which Squadrons tend to have their own way of running each year, so changing things for a one off recruitment campaign doesn’t make any sense (I used to run one full intake per year when I was a Squadron Commander), so unless they were going to guarantee the time and investment every year it’s asking a bit much.
Unfortunately I can’t disagree with this… which is a shame.
I strongly believe a national campaign is the way forward, but it would have to be done well and with buy-in from units.
Why? Because once you’re below the critical mass for word-of-mouth / community engagement etc (which my unit is), the cost and time for the required marketing is prohibitive.
I might just be being abit daft, but surely if a squadron wasn’t activity recruiting applicants to HQAC could just be passed onto the closest squadron who is? Obviously it would be better if everything was just coordinated and communicated at every level, but you’re dead right that would never happen
that would be ridiculous, particularly in the lowest density Wings where the next Squadron could be 40 minutes drive away when the potential recruit could leave only 4 streets away…
To be fair I think a lot of people are overthinking it and looking at the bigger picture the army cadets media campaign is purley about creating awareness.
I know when I became a cadet, in the days before mainstream internet use and social media, I only found out about the ATC from a cousin in another area of the country and then it was only by chance a school friend was going to see what the local unit was like and invited me along.
The army cadets team appear to have a joined up strategy and are analysing where more or less awareness needs to be created then local RFCA add more localised stuff using materials available supporting the national. We seem to be relying soley on word of mouth. Its the joined up thinking we don’t tend to see from other cadet forces.
With our current entry requirments whats the difference between telling a potential recruit whos just started year 8 but won’t be 12 until the next January that he needs to go on a waiting list until x date because thats when your recruit intake happens vs telling a 13 year old the same thing 
I get if your more rural there just isn’t the amount of potential recruits to run rolling intakes or more than a couple a year and next nearest unit may not be viable but for others, with comfortable staffing, creating enough interest for an intake every couple of months would probably be welcome and give them the chance to help even more young people.
I can’t imagine they are doing this and not having someone looking to see if it’s money well spent. Unless it’s the atypical MoD thing of making money bonfires, as they don’t have to care as the muggins taxpayers can get their pockets picked.
TBH I have a list of how the money could be better spent on cadets and let us do the advertising in a targeted local way.
Do you mean “typical”?
Re: a national campaign:
However… a more effective national volunteer recruitment campaign should be undertaken 8-12 months in advance. Every time the ACF run ads I get targeted! But I would suggest a targeted secondary direct approach to veteran organisations, industry, and other identified useful demographics so not every applicant is a well intentioned Jeremiah Knows Nowt requiring the greatest level of training to be useful. Available space is (in my mind and generally across the organisation with some outliers) less problematic to recruitment than available instructors.
Aside from that, I’m really not sure what to do with this thread - it’s too cross-pollinated to go “ACF Smash It” or RAFAC recruitment specific. I guess it stays…