I’m soon to be taking on the Training Officer role at my squadron, and we are having an issue with First Class Training.
We have around 30 cadets on the books, 9 of those Junior/Second Class Cadet and below.
We don’t do intakes due to our low numbers, so First Class is done over a spread of parade nights, and obviously you will have cadets that miss some, or get bored of classifications and dont come down when it’s on the TP.
Some other squadrons in our wing do “First Class Training Weekends”, which is a weekend dedicated to completing the first class syllabus, often hosted at our WAC as it has very good facilities (and nice to get away from sqn for younger cadets), and the training is interspersed with activities/drill/leadership tasks so its not just lesson after lesson.
Have any of you tried this before, or are in a similar position and have done something different? The squadrons who do this seem to be running the courses fine, and the cadets enjoy the weekend.
yes these are quite common - we have run these ~once a year for various reasons, but typically because the intake we have are all at different stages and so a single day on the weekend is used to get everyone caught up and through the process.
it tends to be a popular choice, particularly when it is taking a while to get everyone through and it is holding people back from stuff.
Tried it, works well and they benefit from the social aspect if using a RAC / WAC facility. Have also done it on DTE.
Helps to get through large areas of first class training, or draw in several units together to hit key elements. Combined with residential it helps to prepare cadets for future camps.
It sounds like a good plan and we have considered it before (it’s just staffing etc).
Alternatively, we chunk the classification syllabus into 3x 4-night blocks throughout the year, which provides time for re-sits and self-study etc in between. So we stretch the process over an academic year to provide breathing space and stop people getting bored (we tried academic phase in the winter and it wasn’t working for them).
The leading stuff seems to fit nicely into those and then we cover first class at the same time as alternative activity.
We let senior / master cadet candidates do their own thing unless we have someone available with the know-how to cover something.