I’ve outsourced my NCO training to his wing as a result!
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You might not… the huge and I mean truly monstrous number of weekends cadets are expected to give up simply to reach the rank of Sgt is ridiculous.
Often if a cadet has a weekend job, they are effectively precluded from promotion as cannot attend “Mandatory” weekend training and assessment sessions.
Dont forget. A weekend job usually comes with only 5 weeks annual leave. I.e. work only Saturdays. Get 5 Saturdays off per year.
Even if you were to use ALL 5 for cadet stuff. That’s still not enough to cover the required weekends.
ACP 20 doesnt mention the requirement to attend mandatory training for promotion.
So why do some wings get away with making this shod up?
Edit- training and assessment only accepted if delivered at Wing. Sqns cannot do the training or assessments on unit.
You should take that up with RC(N) on SharePoint. Things like that really boil my. By all means have these requirements for CWO because I would expect that rank to have a significant commitment outside of squadron anyway but for Sgt? Really?
Add in family functions and holidays which due to family break ups maybe more than one, exam revison, which are far more important than the chimera of ‘promotion’. This also applies to staff as well.
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Couldnt agree more.
Only problem is there a very many complete saddos on here who genuinely believe that filling every waking hour with yet more mandatory cadet activities especially on weekends is the way forward. Even worse is these individuals due to their “dedication” end up in Wing SMT positions, so can really add to the unnecessary bureaucracy and work requirements.
Of course, all of these courses helps support the VA collecting obsessives who need monthly courses at WHQ to feed their obsession.
No life? No family? No real career?
It’s ok the ATC can, and will take that time.
JUST DONT FOIST IT ON THE REST OF US!
For some it’s a hobby and something we do when we can.
This goes to cadets too.
Cadets cannot be expected to attend everything.
No matter how much your newly minted Plt Off or Sqn Cdr might want them too.
Remember its THEIR HOBBY TOO. They and we are actually not in the paid employ of HM!!
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I know someone who dd just that, left university approx 1977 and never had a days formal paid employment until state retirment age.
And you wonder why people don’t want to be staff when they finish their cadet time, drop out when they form relationships and have families and if they stay don’t want to be OCs.
As you say the Corps will wring you dry and then criticise you when you try to draw back to maintin some reality/normality in life.
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The other problem with cadets with ‘Saturday’ jobs is they will invariably be in the retail sector and these are the shoddiest of all employers and take the mick out of everyone that work for them.
The bigger problem is they know they have youngsters over a barrel as there is more youngsters than jobs and they don’t care if they have any form of interest outside of the workplace. Just what the expectation that anyone from HQAC can do anything comes from as the bleeding heart scraps of paper from non entities at Cranwell carry no weight. I’ve had cadets take the letter to school to go on things and not one allowed.
This applies to staff as well as cadets. I’ve known staff work in all sectors and not able to get time off, unless they do hog trading for shift swaps, that the Air Cadets don’t care about, as long as you comply with their nonsense. I’ve known several staff who have swapped day shifts for night shifts to go on cadet courses and the course gets cancelled. But they are left covering several shifts they have had to trade for one night shift.
But as I say don’t try and use the Air Cadets as a mitigation as very many employers aren’t bothered, as you can always get another job somewhere else.
Our unit does this - drops the earlier parade night in the week, retaining the closer one to the weekend for relevant briefing etc. Gives the staff some time to themselves during a period when cadets are often away for the Summer as well. Realistically those who wish to attend (staff and cadets) do so anyway, I stress the former begets the latter in this case! The obligation, however, is not there.
The Sector tends to combine activities across the Summer to offer a more robust and varied programme that pools staff and cadets rather than operating Sqns with few cadets/staff present. Again, this is not mandatory.
Agreed - PTS is here and therefore we must be agile, adaptable and capable , but I would love to be able to actually award the badge #supplyissues…
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I had a OC like this - except they had a successful career as a pilot.
so not only did they work inconsistently, off “on reserve” allowing plenty of time for Cadet admin, between take off and landing had a hour to do more of it.
they had more time than the rest of the staff and although the requests were often not unreasonable to complete, the time expectation was - just because they found 20 hours a week with ease to put towards the Squadron doesn’t mean the rest of us could!
The ATC often rewards people who have plenty of time, but not necessarily talent.
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If they had talent they wouldn’t have plenty of time.
not necessarily
see my example above. the CO in question was a talented commercial pilot and their shift pattern was such they had no issues finding time…
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