The number of provisionally protected LSET and LSMT requiring Advanced Technical Training (ATT-LS) is forecast to decrease to an acceptable level by the end of 2002, according to the Directorate of Sailors' Career Management (DSCM).

This has been achieved through the efforts of the engineering faculty at HMAS CERBERUS programming additional ATT-LSMT and ATT-LSET courses during 2001.

"There was a total of 272 P/LSET and P/LSMT sailors protected for ATT-LS at the end of 2000. If all ATT-LS courses in 2001 are fully subscribed by P/LS, then the total backlog is expected to reduce to 84 by the end of 2001," said DSCM staff officer LEUT Leo Van Vliet.

He added that the total P/LSET and P/LSMT ATT backlog is expected to further reduce to zero by the end of 2002.

"Therefore on the current heading, the backlog is decreasing at an acceptable rate which will enable ABET and ABMT sailors to be posted in large numbers to ATT-LS training from late 2002," LEUT Van Vliet.

For P/LSET, an additional ten ATT-LSET courses will be conducted in 2001 compared with the previous year which should decrease the P/LSET ATT backlog to 41 by the end of 2001 and further decrease to zero by the end of 2002.

For P/LSMT, an additional nine ATT-LSMT courses will be conducted in 2001 which should decrease the P/LSMT ATT backlog to 43 by the end of 2001 and to zero by December 2002.

The ATT backlog has been reduced because of considerable emphasis placed on reducing provisional sailors by CN, the Navy Board and the priority placed by MCAUST.

"This emphasis, which has been at significant hurt to operational units, will need to continue throughout 2002 if the required reduction is to be achieved," said LEUT Van Vliet.

Other promotion pre-requisites such as the Leading Seaman Leadership Course (LSLC) and the Petty Officer Management Course are also required to remove the provisional status and DSCM is investigating the LSLC and POMC throughput to ensure that the provisional backlog decreases.