That’s sad to hear. Your issue lies with your RTO there, not HQAC.
Regarding communication
I have spoken to friends and colleagues through out our region and nobody has heard of this.
Some people may of heard/ be in the know, others are still in the dark
Communication has always been poor in this organisation, because someone’s ego needs boosting the of command and senior staff do not understand how modern communication works.
Only from an earlier comment on this thread have I discovered that this change to a clear and defined progressive syllabus is as a direct result of the Cadet Convention in 2015.
Given the time that has passed since then, a working group (most likely Region Training Officers) have worked with HQ staff to create the framework, this has then been followed by specialist staff producing the syllabus.
This will be the second change of policy, directly linked to the Cadet Convention, after the ability for Cdt Sgt’s and above to apply directly for commissioned service following a short break for University etc.
While it’s great that there was a Cadet Convention and policy is changing as a result where is the feedback to the wider corps?
Where was the All Adult ACO email with a short points brief on the outcome of the convention and what was being reviewed as a result?
One of the first review’s that the current CAC commissioned was Internal Communications, as part of this some announcements were pushed by email rather than SharePoint, i know at least 1 OC that unless he has been emailed it can’t be important and doesn’t have time to review the SharePoint Announcements, and has no alert setup because a) not everyone knows how to and b) if it was important there would be an email.
Staff morale would be greatly improved if we just knew what was coming with anticipated launch dates, if information was sent to all straight away so there is no finding out via Social Media from volunteers in other wings/regions. Yes this bypasses the CoC, but it stops them adding their spin on its way down, only after the policy has been seen so we all know the game they are playing, but it also means that everyone has the information at the same time and makes all volunteers equal!
Unfortunately we all know that the change to each syllabus will be published by a new ACTO going on SharePoint not a formal/organised roll out with communication to us the volunteer who will be delivering the training. much the same as the Radio that just appeared on cadets who returned from D&C with local staff knowing nothing!
As ever one of dim lights at Cranwell has an idea and before we know where we are it’s policy.
Our WTO is a mate and he’s not said anything and we only met up for a beer 2 weeks ago. We always do a gossip update and he always says if anything’s afoot in the Wing and above. So I get the idea this has been pushed out to a select few
IF we had a badging system that already properly acknowledged all cadet achievements, then there would be no need for this Janet and John scheme.
Next thing you know HQAC will be announcing that they are releasing a round thing and it will be called the wheel.
Wing Training Officer’s that attended the WTO Seminar last year were briefed, details included in the 2020 Presentation.
OC Wing’s & WEXO’s briefed at the ACO Convention 2015, details in ACO Convention Presentation. Does not appear to have been an update at the 2016 ACO Convention.
Why not canvass opinion from everyone?
The process should be someone within HQAC has an idea and they come up with how it will look and before anything else it has to be presented to all staff and opinions gathered. At least we might all feel some level of engagement in the process and had an opportunity to give input. Not that they’d listen if you weren’t one of the admirers of the emperor’s new clothes, but as I say you’d have had some input. We all asked when anyone had consulted us on the introduction of Bader and then Ultilearn and the gist of the reply, HQAC and assembled brains know better than we do when it comes to running the Corps.
The majority of those who it appears have been ‘in the loop’ are not squadron staff and haven’t been ever or so long ago as to make their opinion invalid. I met our the RTO several years ago and a very nice chap, but so out of date as to what was happening in the Corps in terms of squadron life.
It’ll be squadron staff that will have to make it happen.
The galling thing is a few spotty cadets can air an opinion / view and HQAC lap it up.
I remember a Wg Cdr saying he felt convention was a like a Communist party rally and the first one to stop clapping wouldn’t be seen again.
CoC is chain of command, not communication. I do not see why policy from HQAC (such as it is) requires filtering/adjusting by Region, Wing, and in some cases Sector.
It is very frustrating that in an age of instant communication the ACO is still unable to grasp how to use technology and working practices from the last 2 decades - let alone anything truly contemporary.
That’s a lot of opinion to process. Who’s going to do that? HQAC don’t have staff to process pay claims let alone filter responses from 10,000 responders
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To be fair, I can’t help but feel that HQAC could do with looking at forming a sort of standing focus group for stuff like this.
What like a group of volunteers who’s job it is to represent their peers?
That’s a good idea. We could call them Training Officers.
Not quite what I meant.
There are far too many training officers (~1000) for this, and just using training officers would only be suitable for training matters.
My thought would be something like 3 x OCs, 3 x WSOs, 3 x Adj, 3 x Trg Off, 3 x SNCO, etc. A decent sample size, but not so many people that it creates just a wall of information.
I like the idea of a structured system Bronze, Silver & Gold that’s the same accross the board. It’s these blue badges that are beyond my understanding, as they seem to jut be dishing out a badge for each separate part of First Class.
Done the Radio elements of First Class and a practical assessment? Have a badge.
Done Airmanship 1 and a visit to an AEF? Have your wings.
Done Heartstart as part of First Class? (compulsory within 3 months of joining anyway) have a badge.
The Blue badges seem to be completly superfluous, what’s the blue Leadership badge going to be? Wing JNCO Course? So you already have stripes but have a badge on top just because!
A bit, yeah - but if it makes cadets feel like they’re achieving something and keeps them interested then I can’t really see the harm.
Ah, those wonderful people skills coming to the fore again.
And therein lies the problem. [quote=“MattB, post:73, topic:2633, full:true”]
A bit, yeah - but if it makes cadets feel like they’re achieving something and keeps them interested then I can’t really see the harm.
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The “harm” is the tail wagging the dog - without the tail having any idea of what will be required to produce/deliver any revised trg to generate the plethora of badges. Whilst only a straw poll, I sounded the multi-badges idea off a few cadets - the reaction was cutting.
Communication - basic, sporadic, inflexible, out-dated…
See now that’s funny because our cadets like the concept.
My cadets like the idea of the Bronze, Silver & Gold. But my Cadet NCO’s see the blue badges as a dumbing down & they are correct.
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That may fit with my demographic as its predominantly the younger ones who we have asked. I’ll ask the FS and CWOs next week.
The straight in, Yr 8 brigade, are all for mega-badge collecting, similar to (immature) Pokemon competitions amongst each other; cpls & above don’t seem too be impressed.
But the blue badges aren’t for NCOs…
Why? Some of them might well be, such as radio, shooting, DofE etc?
Still can’t see why we don’t keep the shapes we have now for shooting but change the colour depending on calibre.
Air rifle could be blue, .22 bronze, 5.56 silver and 7.62 gold. No nasty stars involved then.