You say that skills are ignored under the present system. I beg to differ. They are simply awarded under a different and tried and tested system: Promotion.
There are a list of qualifications in the ACF manual that qualify staff for promotions. When I did my SAAI© half of them were there to get their crown or second pip, not the qualification!
I just went for the qualification.
It sounds to me as if the tried and tested system isn’t working!
The tried and tested system has by design, decree and edict been reduced to a box ticking exercise. As soon as it people tick a few boxes and don’t get the promotion, it becomes more personal if it’s not granted. I know a couple of Sgts decided to depart the Corps after frank discourse with their sqn cdrs, after not getting recommended despite fulfulling the criteria. They lost them and other staff and haven’t got anyone else, they are regarded internally as idiots. Having said that a couple of WSO think they’re wonderful.
The error is that the tick-box should not be considered as a list of criteria for promotion, but a list of prerequisites that must be met before someone is considered for promotion. It is the equivalent to “you must be this tall to ride this ride” signs.
It is a tick box system and some of the tick boxes are not entirely feasible such as camp attendance. There are too few places compared to when I started as staff. If I was just starting out, I doubt I would get the opportunity as a CI to attend as uniformed staff are tripping over themselves to go. I learnt more about being staff and staff interactions as a CI at camp, as I could watch and learn from the sideline and not get involved too much in the politicking.
The problem with that analogy is that everyone (unless they have some hormone defect) will get to be tall enough, therefore in ATC terms everyone will be eligible for promotion. The matrix / list of things reminds me of Dacre nominees where suitability is seemingly gauged by how many badges you have and rank, rather an actually being the best cadet. The best cadets are imo those who put the most into the organisation. By the same token the best candidates for promotion cannot be judged by attending courses, how far up someone you are prepared to crawl etc, it is far more sublime than that.
If you are going to push a system whereby course attendance / qualification is the order of the day then you need to have an over-supply of courses so that everyone can fit them in with their own lives and if a course is agreed etc it runs, unless there is a real personal reason why the DS cannot make it. This currently isn’t the situation; not enough courses and courses cancelled due to not enough interest. Maybe on the latter that might be all that are available to attend on that date. If we only did things at the squadron based on lots attending, especially the older cadets we’d do nothing. I would sooner have a few who wanted to learn, rather than loads who are just along for the ride. I remember how crap some of my school lessons were because of the spanners in the class.