Overall Training Plan

Everyone General Training
1

Hi All,

I wanted to enquire as to how complicated anyone’s over all training plan (Annual or longer) was/is?

I am currently writing a monthly training programme but it all feels like its to fill time rather than fulfil any long term goal or learning/training objective, but in terms of getting a plan together I am really not sure where to start. obviously the classifications lead them to there exams and the learning that that brings but I really don’t want to get stuck in a trap where the cadets keep doing the same thing over and over.

If anyone has any suggestions advice etc. it would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks

R

2

The first thing is don’t do it on your own or it does become a bit like filling time exercise.

Quite correctly classifications are important as they form the cornerstone of what we do and identlify a cadet’s progression. This can be part of the longer term planning. As part of the longer view what skills have you got on the squadron such as first aid, fms, radio, shooting, navigation, leadership which can give you something to plan things that mark advancement, ie first aid / shooting competitions (internal / external); radio exercises, using parades to plan DofE / general expeditions, fms training leading to a weekend and ‘leadership’ can be woven into all of these things. WRT leadership don’t get sucked into the standard ‘shark infested custard’ things … be inventive.

As for repeating things it has to happen as you get turnover of cadets, BUT use the older cadets to demonstrate and pass their knowledge of subjects.

There are a host of other things including public speaking and guest speakers that add interest.

But as I said initially, you can spend hours putting something together and if the staff aren’t involved and they don’t feel they’ve had some involvement in the programme especially the longer term things, it won’t work. Afterall they should own the subject and longer term planning of things.

3

Ours is completed to the end of next year. All the regular stuff like sports, dofe/at, projects, classification training, etc. Also regular nights for service knowledge training, visitors/visits, cadet run nights and social nights too. Its then more a job of figuring out what can be taken out rather than what to use to fill nights in.

4

In theory you can write a 5 year training plan to cover a cadets entire career. Each sqn is different but the ACTOs give a rough idea of your Core training requirements (Classifications, Drill, Shooting, Radio) along with the high priority optionals (Leadership, DofE, fieldcraft) and the nice to haves (NNAS, .

What we do is split the year into four phases

Sept to Dec - Classification topic 1, YFA & Leadership
Jan to Mar - Classification topic 2, Radio & L98 training (with DoE exped training)
Apr - Jun - Classification Topic 3, DoE, BTECs & Competition training
Jul & Aug - Summer Program, Outdoor activities & Sports

Vocational Projects got binned as soon as we went on Ultilearn - they had been become too complicated and sucked up to much time and were hated by cadets & Staff alike. Also going back to basics, BTEC, Competition First Aid, Radio, air recce & aeromodelling all count so I suppose we still do projects but training focused not vocational.

The first thing I would say is actually work out how many training nights you have each year and then plan your strategy accordingly. Don’t try to fill ever night in your strategy - this allows for the cadet run nights, inspections and other random events. Check with your CO and perhaps agree a criteria for each quarter (e.g. one inspection/drill, one fieldcraft exercise, two sports, two interflight) just don’t put to much in otherwise you’ll run out of space.

The comment about getting multiple ideas is a good one BUT plan in yourself otherwise you’ll end up with a program by committee (and watch out for the person who wants have the training program the same as how they had it as a cadet in 1971!).

You’ll need to look at your resources and see what you actually have to work with and try build in systems that feed back into the sqn (e.g. a leadership course where the cadet who did it last year run it the following year). Think about what you want the cadets to achieve, think about how that relates to the aims and why the cadets should be doing it remembering we are a military organisation.

Finally competitions and inspection reports can give you some way to measure and keep score of your training achievements. It’s what the squadron will be scored on higher up the chain so try and use that. Remember that a cadet shouldn’t repeat training unless they really need to.

Hope this all helps.

5

I’m extremely lucky at my Sqn. I should stress I’m not the Training Officer, but we have personnel from very wide and varied disciplines and all of us have input to the TP. We have Policemen, Teachers, Scientists and myself, an Airfield Firefighter. So, our knowledge is eclectic to say the least!!

I agree with the comments below, utilise what you have with experience; especially with the senior cadets and Cadet NCO’s. They cannot be left to fester, they are the nucleus of a Sqn in my opinion.

We have had numerous guest speakers in; ex-Cadets, TA Comms experts, an FA football referee, local off-shore lifeboat Coxwain and a Careers Office member of staff, amongst others.

The first Sqn I was in, (no names…), had no interest in the idea of changing the laborious, “same old”, egg race, Training Programme. Young cadets in particular need to be kept interested, need change, need motivation. And I guess, that’s where we come in!!