By Lisa Gordon | May 6, 2021 Estimated reading time 6 minutes, 5 seconds.
While the Royal Canadian Air Cadets might not be taking to the air this summer, there are still plenty of rewarding learning opportunities available to the 28,600 young Canadians currently enrolled in the program.
In years past, the Air Cadet Gliding Program, administered by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and supported by the Air Cadet League of Canada, has been a highlight for student cadets. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has prompted the cancellation of all in-person, overnight air cadet training activities for the second summer in a row.
While that’s certainly disappointing, the pandemic has provided the catalyst for implementing a full-scale modernization of the entire Cadet Program, which includes air, sea, and army cadets, as well as Junior Canadian Rangers. According to Col Adam Carlson, Deputy Commander for Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers (CJCR), planners have taken the opportunity to harness the training possibilities offered by a virtual environment.
“What we have seen in the last year has been an absolutely incredible pivot,” he told Skies. “This organization has really grasped hold of every means necessary to deliver whatever we can virtually. We have developed a number of new virtual training courses, increasing our list of courses for this summer.”
Some of the exciting new programs for air cadets include virtual basic aviation and advanced aviation, as well as virtual aerospace, airport operations, drone operation, and survival training. Programming not specific to air cadets includes online versions of military band, pipes and drums, coaching, communications, and fitness courses, among others.
“We’ve taken some of the qualification courses and are running them virtually – they will get the same qualification and same badge,” said Carlson. “A lot of the time, the focus has been on the flying, but there is so much more to the program.”
This summer, a new trial program in Winnipeg will give local air cadets the chance to take aviation maintenance training. Run by a civilian college and offered over two years for a five-week period each summer, Carlson said the plan is to eventually roll this program out to several locations across the country.
“The concept behind it is that after two summers and successful completion of the Journeyperson Level 1 apprenticeship exam, a cadet will walk out with a certificate that will allow them to begin their apprenticeship at an approved maintenance organization.”
Also new is the Cadet Activities Program (CAP), which will see cadets pursue interests and activities determined by their local squadrons.
“Some will do geocaching, some will do sports and fitness,” he added. “It’s not just a continuation of their normal training, it’s something interesting and different. We offer these activities in-person where local health guidelines permit. We try to leverage the school model where they go for the day and then they’re done.”
Carlson said the pandemic has helped the Cadet Program face forward and make improvements tailored to the future of learning.
“We will be offering a full spectrum of training, from in-person overnight to local to online. Potentially, in the future, we can double the number of cadets that have access to some sort of cadet experience during the summer.”
He said cadets were encouraged to submit program feedback last summer, and administrators acted on it to refine this year’s offerings.
“Overall, the feedback was fairly positive. We even saw some program growth in parts of the country. It has been encouraging to see corps/squadrons work together to offer a dynamic youth program.”
Carlson is excited about the new virtual courses being offered to air cadets in a world where “virtual will never go away.”
For more information or to find an air cadet squadron near you, visit canada.ca/join-cadets.
