Hi all, been involved with cadets as a service instructor (SI) for a few years now. Any of you lovely people know of any courses or quals I can do to make me of better use to the sqns I help with?
I’m a junior rank so I know I can’t do RCO courses etc
Cheers.
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Great to have the involvement! 
Any specific interest? First Aid? Adventurous Trg? Sports?
I’ll turn my hand to pretty much anything. Got FAAW under my belt.
How about First Aid instructor? As you said “sqns” - are there any gaps in instructor capability at the different locations that might be a particular value?
That’s an idea…
And not particularly, both have a full complement of staff and considering I only attend when I have leave I’m very much supernumery.
When you say you’re a junior rank, do you mean JNCO or junior as in airman? If you hold the minimum rank of LCpl, you might want to consider SAAI or RMQ courses but if you’re an SAC(Tech) then yes, options are limited to those mentioned above.
Nah, SAC(T) I’m afraid. I was under the impression that SAAI wasn’t limited to JNCO?
From Cadet Training - Ranges (2015):
6 SAAI Cadet Course CFAV Regular/Reserve Service Helpers SAAI Cadets See Note
Note. Cadet Qualifications issued to Regular/Reserve Service personnel helpers are only valid whilst the individual is serving within the cadet organisation and there is a requirement for them to have it. Min rank for Regular/Reserve Service Helpers is LCpl
So it would (sadly) appear that there is a minimum rank for SI’s.
that doesn’t man you can’t be a Safety Supervisor or a Coach both of which are available to Staff Cadets so i’d question if it isn’t available to an SAC!
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AT quals are open to all.
Walking, climbing, paddlesports…you decide! these are NGB awards providing by the ACO so should be able to get you going if you have the interest
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I also thought the no8 QWHT was available to staff cadets as well…? I could be wrong.
The qCWHT qual doesn’t exist anymore.
I see, to be fair the last time I heard it was before I left cadets in 2011… Was just checking 
Staff Cadets can’t be authorised or qualified to act as Safety Supervisors.
Horriblelittletechie, when it comes to SI and courses, near as all are open. The weapons courses are about the only ones I am aware of being limited (and Drill to a certain extent). The complication is in peoples understanding of this matter. Often people feel SI are not allowed on the courses as they are not listed as eligible applicants in documentation. This is not done to exempt but more down to oversight when the documentation was written.
My advice, find a course, apply for it. If you are rejected ask why and then work out a way forward. I have been dealing with this and other SI issues for a while now, if you need any advice, give me a shout.
My favourite course based issue so far is an Army Infantry Officer who holds a plethora of exercise qualifications being told he cannot run a cadet exercise as he doesn’t hold the Cadet Exercise Controller Qualification… So he applied to do the course to be told SI are not eligible. This has now been resolved but unfortunately the CoC are not interested in tackling any of these issues at the root cause.
Thank you very much. I’ll keep on the eye out for any course I see then… Don’t ask don’t get!