New Training officer - advice, yearly calendar, method of display/management etc

Adult Staff
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I am a new CI on my Sqd, and was a cadet at a different sqd all the way back in the 90s

I have a background in teaching and education a various level, and, as the TO ha recently left the Sqd, I have been asked to take over this role.

As the old TO (also a CI) left, there doesn’t appear to be much hand-over information… I believe there might be docs linked to an old TO account, but currently we cant get into it!

Therefore, I might be starting from the ground up, which in some ways might be the best thing to do.

One of the things I am aware of will be need to block in training around certain events, such as big parades, camps and events etc. However, I don’t know where I access this info. Does each wing/region have a yearly training calendar?

Anyway, any advice to develop the yearly plan? I know the sqd is way behind their classifications, esp first class. We have NCOs who are first class! When I was a cadet, all our NCOs were a senior at least!

However, also when I was a cadet, ‘lessons tonight’ was the words we never wanted to hear, and we would rather do anything, including drill, than lessons. Maybe that was because there were not fun… So, I don’t just want to focus on ‘inside’ activities or classification-based stuff.

So, anyone any ideas where is a good place to start?

Also, while you are here…how do you manage the training plan? Ie do you have a brief yearly outline…do you have it printed on a notice board, or have it stored somewhere like a Teams/Google calendar and the cadets can view and go ‘oh, its XX tonight, and we are in greens’

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thanks for the reply… As mentioned, Im a CI, so it will be a while until I go to OIC… I assume they want TOs to be officers, but given we only have x1 on the Sqd… I assume many Sqd TOs are CIs…

Thanks for linking the doc… it does ready (Anx. B) that the TO role is…sort training! It lists some ACTOs… but what are they / where can I find them? I can only find ACPs on SharePoint

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Some good, broad starters for 10 here…

https://forum.aircadetcentral.net/t/training-officers-year-ahead

Tackling the specific questions…

Does each wing/region have a yearly training calendar?

Yes. But find out what your OCs priorities are to ensure you’re both pulling in the same directions.

Also, if you have capacity and resources, don’t be afraid of putting on a Sqn activity on the same weekend as a Wg activity. In general, not everybody will want to do every wing event - and if they do, only one or two may get select. Instead, look at events you could offer around your Sqns training needs.

There will be events that do require additional time, energy and effort - but don’t go mad with these and let them dictate more than a few evenings resource.

how do you manage the training plan?

Work with your units staff team and work out what you want to achieve over the next few months/years. Get buy in from the cadets; make sure what they want aligns with what you’re looking at. If not, find a compromise. If they want AT, but don’t have any qualified staff either make some (that takes a while), find some (your WATTO will have a list of SQEP staff who may be willing to support) or buy some (WATTO can also help here; but you can also look outwardly to see what’s available, so assurance checks (PLI, costs etc)

Start working out the timeframes for delivery of these. Map across wing events and activities. Start plugging the weekends with the stuff you want/need. Remembering that sign off can take up to 6 weeks for things like AT - which means planning now for mid September events.

Make sure you build in downtime and the plan has a degree of flex. Don’t overcommit and burn out - either you; or the cadets!

Once the annual plan is sorted, then look at the weekly training program. I’m a huge advocate of quarterly intakes and have previously written how these can be managed (just have a search). Others prefer six monthly. The decision is yours/your OCs. But use that and your annual plan to start building things up.

We never do classification training between April and October; the weather is too nice and there’s too many other - more exciting - things to do!! Instead we lead with practical, fun, outdoor stuff.

Winter wise there’s some ideas here too - Winter Activities

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Try here: Sign in to your account

Also have an explore of the “how to” guides in the Training Hub.

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