Hi all,
Just curious. Is there a specification for what qualifications you have to have in order to teach 1st class? My NCOs are having disputes as to whether or not you have to have MOI and Masters, MOI and Senior, SNCO and MOI, just Masters, or if it’s up to OC Sqn’s discretion.
Any advice would be appreciated ( and if possible, an ACP or ACTO I can reference to them! )
Cheers,
Huxley
Anyone can aslong as they know the subject matter and basic teaching principles.
I guess MOI would be a desriable.
In my day is was reading the old ACP folders
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Yep it’s this one 
They may delegate it to the training officer but in short it’s whoever the CO deems to be competent.
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Shh. Don’t say it too loudly or they’ll bring in a mandatory training weekend to deliver it
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I always find putting a CDT SNCO in charge of basic training quite reasonable. They can cover the academic and drill side simultaneously and this maintains continuity throughout.
But yes, as others have said, anyone who is competent!
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Given that NCOs will (or should) have done it and understood it, they are the best placed to instruct basic training with guidance.
Still not convinced the MOI actually brings anything to the party.
I have always used new instructor cadets, as a way of them gaining confidence teaching basic subjects. We don’t generally do MOI until they are Master, however that depends on your Sqn plan. So, as others have said - up to your OC or Trg Off.
Although, with most of the presentations being converted into self teach packages, anyone who can press a button on a computer and read a screen could do it tbh.
Self-teaching has its purpose but I think it’s better aimed at the older cadets. I think asking a group of 12/13 year olds to self-teach isn’t productive and doesn’t give off a good first impression to new cadets. I find that age group learn better with interactive sessions and teaching.
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Definitely this.
First class is the chance to hook new cadets in. It absolutely has to be engaging and interesting, and well delivered.
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I’m all for mandatory MOI and classification subject matter training before CFAVs are permitted to teach cadets. What about requiring all acting SNCOs to pass First Class, Leading and Senior classification before attending ATF? They do similar in VGS. All staff, no matter what their previous flying experience, have to suck eggs and pass their gliding scholarship and advanced gliding scholarship, before progressing on to G2 & G1.
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If going that route, which is potentially valid, I’d stop at leading.
Fine idea in principle but it would need a complete overhaul of how we train people,
Maybe the SCC or ACF models could be adapted but we need to accelerate people into uniform, not slow process down even more.
I’m all for requiring classification passes before going to the Academy and personally am not against a more modular approach consisting of a mixture of online self study, on unit training and maybe a weekend at Wing/Test level. You then wouldn’t need a week at the Academy
Final weekend for graduation?
Would be nice to see CHOM at some point in the process.
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Yeah. Certainly some time there. I feel like I missed out don’t it all virtually
Never been too sure what the MOI brings. We all have our own style of delivery which we develop and given the timescales we work to, we have to just get on. People who have done the MOI soon dump it and just get on and do.
I think classification subject ‘training’ should be included as part of the initial staff training package.
There used to be a range of courses for classification subjects, which the 2 I did PofF and Air Nav were excellent, but never really well attended and they disappeared.
I would have thought with the push for STEM now, there is ample opportunity within some of the subjects to do the classification training with extra-curricular as such activities to extend the learning. Say it’s a week long course knock the subject matter in 3 days and spend 1½ days doing ‘activities’ that extend the subject, where it can, to help broader understanding. But these activities would need central funding to ensure all cadets were able to access them, but not necessarily large scale.
This may provide an ‘interest’ angle for staff to
1 get involved
2 develop an interest.
When it comes to history subjects as an extension looking into the history of cadets and RAF locally, could extend it. If it was talking to old boys and girls about their experiences to
Why? my SNCO teaches drill & uniform & then helps out with stores plus other training admin
All the lesson training is done by CIs & anything above leading is specialist anyway.
The VGS model make sense because that is a highly specialised qualification in a high risk activity and you need to ensure that everyone’s training is standardised.
The classification are straight forward topics and are primarily aimed to be taught parrot fashion hence why they are designed to be accessible for a range of instructor experience.
The more hoops you put in for volunteers to jump through the less volunteers you will have. I do think MoI should be included as part of CFAV but not make them go through the classification exams as this would not add value to CFAV knowledge & just make things too linear.
The one of the Key principles for volunteer management & engagement is that no more than three months elapse between point of application & the volunteer being active & effective. If you go over this then you will lose about a third of your volunteers.
I think it’s a good idea for all cfav to be aware of the subjects and have some knowledge, especially (at a minimum) the first class topics, but beyond that, I agree, any requirement is excessive.
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I think Greater Manchester Wing have a good staff induction process. Before the new staff can go on squadron (not formally appointed etc) they attend a few weeks training in MOI, First Aid, 1st Class etc and when they hit the squadrons they already have useful qualifications.
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I quite like this idea and it would certainly help fill that time when applications are taking far too long to be processed! This time may as well be utilised and if these sessions are purely for new staff who have not yet been ‘made official’ then I see no issue, whereas they can’t attend regular courses with other staff and cadets due to not having that official status.
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