Defence

Feature

Easing the way to cadet recruitment

The pathway from the Australian Defence Force Cadets (ADFC) to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is being made a whole lot smoother thanks to a range of Defence Force Recruiting initiatives that will roll out over 2007. Gai Brodtmann explains.

Brigadier (BRIG) Simon Gould, Director General Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) , said the ultimate aim is to make a career choice in the ADF an attractive proposition for this important group of young Australians.

“While we realise not all 22,000 cadets want to join the Navy, Army and Air Force, a significant proportion do, and we want to make the road to recruitment a great deal easier to navigate than it currently is,” he said.

“Cadets are, in a way, pre-qualified for the ADF. They are already familiar with and interested in military-like environments, so the way we recruit them needs to cater to that difference.

“The initiatives we are introducing over 2007, which form part of a broader DFR recruiting framework, are designed to remove any barriers that may be encountered along the track from cadets to the ADF,” he said.

According to BRIG Gould, the initiatives have been informed by cadets and designed to meet their specific needs and interests.

“We’ve been guided by the Cadet Policy Branch’s 2005 cadet survey and our own consultations with cadets early last year, where we gained an insight into what makes them tick, what makes them sit up and take notice and what excites them,” he said.

“The consultations gave us a good understanding of how we can best reach these young Australians and I think we have delivered the goods with these initiatives.”

So what’s in store?

Recruitment DVD

This month, cadets will get the chance to get a first-hand look at life in the Navy, Army and Air Force with a DVD to be distributed to every cadet unit and squadron across Australia.

The DVD features interviews with serving ADF members who were former cadets and every cadet will get a copy. The interviews give personal insights into career options, fitness, food, accommodation, travel opportunities and tips to help cadets join the ADF.

Recruitment camp

In early April, 100 senior New South Wales-based Navy, Army and Air Force cadets aged 16 and over will also get the chance to attend a pilot recruitment camp in Sydney.

At the camp, cadets will visit Navy, Army and Air Force bases and units and get the chance to talk to ADF members and gain a greater understanding of the recruitment process.

“Cadets really enjoy meeting serving men and women, so this sort of engagement at the camp will be most beneficial,” Head Cadet Policy, Major General (MAJGEN) Mick Fairweather said.

“DFR is also developing a series of online forums where cadets will be able to ask questions of military personnel about their careers, which is also a positive move.”

CDF Challenge

Straight after Easter, 30 cadets will be able to test their mettle, pit themselves against each other, work off the chocolate eggs and get a taste of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College at the Chief of the Defence Force Cadet Challenge 2007.

The tri-Service challenge, which will be held at ADFA, will test Navy, Army and Air Force cadets on their fitness, teamwork, leadership, initiative, marksmanship and general military knowledge.

Increased recruiter awareness

Given the critical role recruiters play in the recruitment process, over the course of this year DFR will also conduct a series of workshops that will highlight the experience and skills cadets gain during their time in the ADFC.

“Our consultations with cadets showed that recruiters were often unaware of the breadth and depth of leadership, self development and teamwork skills cadets bring to the recruitment table,” BRIG Gould said.

“Cadet staff from each organisation have volunteered to explain the diversity of cadet experiences, so military recruiters have a thorough understanding of the talent pool with whom they are dealing.”

Cadet experience improvements

Both the Cadet Policy Branch and DFR acknowledge that one of the keys to cadets following the career pathway to the ADF is to actually keep them in the ADFC.

“That’s why we’re putting more resources into boots, jackets and equipment and we’re providing greater access to sea-riding opportunities and firearms training,” MAJGEN Fairweather said.

“One of the best ways of maintaining cadet interest is to give them more military-like experiences.

“Ultimately, however, it’s all about giving them more support – in the ADFC context and in the recruiting context. Cadets are a unique and special group, and I am delighted that DFR is now treating these young Australians as VIPs,” he said.

Other recruitment initiatives focus on young achievers

While DFR will conduct a targeted campaign aimed at cadets in 2007, over the last few years it has employed, and continues to employ, a range of initiatives that position the ADF as an employer of choice to other young Australians.

“We’ve introduced a number of measures that focus on raising the profile of the ADF and connecting with youth, as opposed to directly recruiting,” BRIG Gould said.

The initiatives include the:

• ADF Long Tan leadership and teamwork award – each year the cash award is given to more than 4500 Year 10, 11 and 12 students across Australia. The award is designed to build an understanding about the ADF in the community. The award encourages leadership and teamwork as an integral part of personal development and community spirit. Using Defence-supplied criteria that reflect the values taught in schools, school principals select award winners.
• Step To The Future – this program consists of a series of national forums organised by locally-based secondary students across Australia. The forums provide young Australians with role models from a range of fields, including business, politics, entertainment, sport, the general community and the ADF.
• ADFA Education Award – this award is presented to Year 12 students who have enrolled in ADFA and shown outstanding leadership potential and academic and sporting achievements in Year 11. The award comprises a laptop computer for the recipient and a plaque for their school.

Leading Seaman Michael Solomon (ADFC) on a recent trip to India as a guest of the National Cadet Corps.

Cadet always headed for Navy

If nothing else, Leading Seaman Michael Solomon of the Australian Navy Cadets is a forward planner.

“Ever since I was in Year 2, I said I was joining the Navy in 2007, and that’s what I’ve done,” he said.

“My whole family has been in the Navy, and it’s what I always wanted to do.”

This month, Leading Seaman Solomon will leave his hometown of Airlie Beach for three months general training at HMAS Cerberus. He will then do employment training as an avionics technician at Wagga Wagga before joining HMAS Albatross in Nowra.

While Leading Seaman Solomon has been a man on a mission since he was the ripe old age of eight, he believes his time as an Australian Navy Cadet helped smooth the pathway to Navy.

“It gave me a lot of general knowledge about the Navy, such as its history and rank system, and really helped with my basic training,” he said.

“But the major benefit I got from being a cadet was self-confidence and the ability to work in teams of different people. While I knew quite a bit about the Navy from my family, my time as a cadet gave me the hands on skills to make my dream a reality.”

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