Initiatives launched to retain and increase RCAF personnel experience levels

dimsum

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News Article / June 10, 2021

Quality of Life — Quality of Service
In June 2019, programs were launched to ensure the continuing health of the RCAF and our ability to achieve mission success. These initiatives are vital in the face of an unprecedented level of global competition for the skills of pilots, technicians, highly trained aviation specialists, and support personnel. Across the RCAF, we are working on restoring and retaining levels of personnel experience and thereby ensure we are able to meet our current mandate and properly transfer skills and knowledge to the next generations of aviators.

On June 10, 2019, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger, sent the following message to members of the Royal Canadian Air Force

The Chief of the Defence Staff recently launched “Operation Experience”, which directs the Canadian Armed Forces to implement immediate actions to stabilize and rapidly increase levels of pilot experience. These actions are nested within a broader RCAF campaign plan, “Operation Talent”, which focuses on the quality of life and quality of service of all our personnel and their families. It addresses, in particular, the intake, training, absorption and employment of our members.

Although these two directives have been published separately, be assured that they address two aspects of a single challenge and we will implement measures arising from both in a seamless, mutually complementary and holistic manner.

Together, these initiatives are vital in face of an unprecedented level of global competition for the skills of pilots, technicians, highly trained aviation specialists and support personnel. We are at risk of losing the depth of experience that our more senior personnel possess and, thus, the ability to mentor, train and transfer knowledge to our newer aviators and bring them to an operationally effective level.

Without action to stabilize our levels of experienced personnel, the RCAF’s operational output will be further impacted. Increasing our intake and our training capacity is not enough. We must nurture an environment where the RCAF’s quality of life and quality of service make it more attractive for our members to stay than to leave.

The challenge is complex, however, and will require equally complex solutions. We are already working on several solutions to alleviate our situation. We will implement some of them quickly but others, I want to be clear, may take up to five to seven years to put in place.

We’re already seeing progress on the establishment of a new Air Operations Support Technician occupation (Reserve Force) that will augment force protection capabilities and provide support to aircraft maintenance and search and rescue activities. This will allow highly qualified Aviation and Search and Rescue Technicians to focus on their primary functions. We will begin accepting applications to this occupation this summer. Planning is also under way to establish an Air Operations Officer occupation (Regular Force) that will focus on non-flying activities, thereby returning more aircrew to the flight lines. More immediate actions include adjusting the restricted release policy and increasing the length of first flying tours to a minimum of four years. Additional initiatives are outlined in our Fact Sheet.

You will be able to learn more about both operations at future town halls in your locations, and we will distribute a “tool box” through the chain of command for leaders at all levels to use. We will also set up an intranet page (available on DND intranet only) that will keep you up to date on the progress of all our initiatives. In the meantime, I encourage you to read the upcoming edition of PERSpectives, which contains a more detailed account of our planned way ahead (available on DND intranet only).

As we work to ensure the RCAF remains an effective provider of air and space power for the Canadian Armed Forces and the Government of Canada, I encourage you to become informed, do your part and always keep in mind the words of our motto: Such is the pathway to the stars – Sic Itur Ad Astra.

http://rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=initiatives-launched-to-retain-and-increase-rcaf-personnel-experience-levels%2Fjwmfy5h7&fbclid=IwAR0fMxZ31ybtEFiL4qA1rTqgj_gPevs1OhwNgYhTVWIpvVJuxpYLvZzw-zs



Also:

News Article / June 10, 2021

From the Royal Canadian Air Force

Fact Sheet

In June 2019, programs were launched to ensure the continuing health of the Royal Canadian Air Force and our ability to achieve mission success. These initiatives are vital in the face of an unprecedented level of global competition for the skills of pilots, technicians, highly trained aviation specialists, and support personnel. Across the RCAF, we are working on restoring and retaining levels of personnel experience and thereby ensure we are able to meet our current mandate and properly transfer skills and knowledge to the next generations of aviators. On one front, we will focus specifically on stabilizing and increasing levels of pilot experience. On a second front we will focus on the quality of life and quality of service of all our personnel and their families and address, in particular, the intake, training, absorption and employment of our members.

The RCAF will stabilize and grow our capacity across all capabilities to ensure continuation of effective delivery of air and space power now, and into the future. This will be achieved by implementing the initiatives outlined below. Some will be implemented quickly but others may take up to five to seven years to put in place.

Initiated
Empower leaders down to the unit level to improve work-life balance.
Finalize implementation of the Air Operations Support Technician trade that will concentrate on providing functional maintenance, Force Protection, and Search and Rescue support so highly qualified personnel focus on their primary functions.
Complete the implementation of the Family Sponsor Program by the 2019 annual posting season.
Make first aircrew tour a minimum four years at tactical squadrons, beginning with pilot flying tours.
Review pilot occupation to reflect the current operating environment and job realities.
Implement four-year extensions to engagement periods for pilots enrolled under the Continuing Education Officer Training Plan as a matter of course, rather than one-year extensions, when pilots have not completed their degrees.
Contract additional instructors for basic aircrew and operational training unit production, while also exploring creating Public Service instructor positions.
Review current restricted release policy for air occupations, beginning with pilots, to determine the appropriate period of service.
Seek allied and industry partnerships to retain, attract, and grow pilot experience within the RCAF.
Provide greater flexibility for Reserve Force employment.

To be initiated June 2019-2020
Review and adjust the balance between training and professional development with other professional and personal demands on RCAF members.
Optimize the path to being operationally effective in air occupations to maximize productive time in the training system.
Implement the new Air Operations Officer occupation that will concentrate on non-flying activities to reduce the number of aircrew filling non-flying positions.
Streamline and prioritize re-enrolment of skilled air occupations (former RCAF or allied).
Enable greater access to Class C full-time service for Reserve Force members employed on domestic operations.
Explore additional options with allies to increase training and absorption capacity for RCAF pilots and other air occupations.
Expand and/or create additional rotary wing and multi-engine flying capacity to season new wing grads awaiting platform-specific training.
Conduct an organizational review and adjustment of pilot positions to rebalance and maximize employment.
Explore options for deferred degree programs for pilots.
Explore short-term compensation measures for experienced Regular and Reserve Force pilots.
Adapt the training system to better recognize existing skills and qualifications for RCAF-managed occupations to create more flexibility in achieving operational effectiveness.
Develop eligibility criteria for reimbursement of civilian flying for pilots in non-flying positions.
In coordination with Military Personnel Command, explore a modern compensation and benefit model based on skill sets vice only rank progression across RCAF occupations.
Propose compensation measures for skilled pilot applicants who re-enroll, including move benefits for former RCAF pilots who are located outside Canada, and allied pilots who are Wings-qualified and only require recertification training.

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=quality-of-life-quality-of-service-initiatives/jwmfxwk7
 

SupersonicMax

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Too little too late.  This won’t stop the bleeding.  It’ll just make you comfortable until you die...
 

MarkOttawa

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Another story:

Air force commander eyes bonuses to address shortage of experienced pilots

The commander of Canada's air force wants to pay retention and signing bonuses to pilots, one measure of several meant to address the military's shortage of experienced aviators and mechanics.

In a frank message to Royal Canadian Air Force members on Monday, Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger called the moves "vital" for stabilizing the military's ranks at a time of unprecedented competition for skilled aviators and technicians.

"We are at risk of losing the depth of experience that our more senior personnel possess and, thus, the ability to mentor, train and transfer knowledge to our newer aviators and bring them to an operationally effective level," he said.

"Without action to stabilize our levels of experienced personnel, the RCAF's operational output will be further impacted. Increasing our intake and our training capacity is not enough."

The new initiatives aim to minimize the amount of time pilots spend on the ground rather than in the cockpit by streamlining training and cutting non-flying responsibilities while using more reservists and contractors.

There are also plans to look at retention bonuses for more experienced aviators and signing bonuses to attract former military pilots from Canada and elsewhere back into uniform. Such measures, however, will require government approval
[emphasis added].

Other militaries, notably the U.S., that are also struggling with shortages of pilots have introduced financial bonuses and other measures to keep aviators in uniform.

Meinzinger acknowledged some of the measures will take longer to implement than others, some as up to seven years, which is when he has previously said he hoped the shortage would finally be addressed.

Meeting that timeline will be essential to ensuring a smooth transition from the current CF-18 fighter-jet fleet to new state-of-the-art replacements, during which the air force will be stretched in three different directions.

Not only will the RCAF need to keep the same number of planes in the air to fly missions and have enough senior aviators to train new pilots, which is already difficult, it will also need to send seasoned pilots for training on the incoming fleet [emphasis added].

"The challenge is complex ... and will require equally complex solutions," Meinzinger told air force members.

The federal auditor general reported in November that the military doesn't have enough pilots and mechanics to fly and maintain the country's CF-18s as it is.

Two months earlier, air force officials revealed they were short 275 pilots and need more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel across the air force's different aircraft fleets.

And there are concerns the shortage will get worse as a result of explosive growth predicted in the global commercial-airline sector, which could pull many experienced military pilots out of uniform.

The situation might not be an existential crisis for the air force, at least not yet. But military officials have nonetheless conceded it is one that needs to be addressed if Canada's air force is to continue operating at top levels for the foreseeable future.
https://www.baytoday.ca/national-news/air-force-commander-eyes-bonuses-to-address-shortage-of-experienced-pilots-1499188

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Ostrozac

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The new Air Operations Officer MOSID is an interesting development. But what form will it take? Is it going to be a Prussian-style General Staff for the RCAF, educated, trained and specialized in the planning and employment of airpower? Or is it going to be a place where washouts from the aircrew training pipeline end up for permanent employment on cubicle duty in Ottawa?

And doesn’t the AirPower Operations Course already provide trained RCAF staff officers without creating a whole new career structure? Aircrew and non-aircrew officers with APOC can fill staff billets, or be employed in their home cap badge. This new MOSID seems to be intended as staff-only, is there a need for that?
 

Navy_Pete

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Only know a few pilots, but none of them complained about the things listed here.  Getting messed around by the boss/wing/RCAF and getting stuck in jobs where they couldn't fly were the complaints over a pint.

From an outsiders take, this seems like an off target top down approach from the same group that is ignoring/causing the underlying issues. Am I missing something here?

Maybe they could start with simple solutions at the lower level, like not being arseholes to their people. That would be free!
 

Eye In The Sky

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Lots of talk about pilots.  Not much about ACSOs or any of the NCM aircrew trades.  Like I mentioned on FB when I saw the article, fill an Aurora up with pilots and it can't even take off.

But, I'm sure the concerns and burn-out for "non-pilot" aircrew and maintainers are on the Leadership's radar... :whistle:

Empower leaders down to the unit level to improve work-life balance.

Oh ya, that's what I've been seeing the last X years at my Sqn.  You know...more LOE than there are crews, people being effectively on duty for weeks straight...not sure what "intiated" means, of what "empowering" has happened but...it must have bypassed my Wing.
 

dimsum

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Ostrozac said:
The new Air Operations Officer MOSID is an interesting development. But what form will it take? Is it going to be a Prussian-style General Staff for the RCAF, educated, trained and specialized in the planning and employment of airpower? Or is it going to be a place where washouts from the aircrew training pipeline end up for permanent employment on cubicle duty in Ottawa?

And doesn’t the AirPower Operations Course already provide trained RCAF staff officers without creating a whole new career structure? Aircrew and non-aircrew officers with APOC can fill staff billets, or be employed in their home cap badge. This new MOSID seems to be intended as staff-only, is there a need for that?

From what I've heard, the Air Ops Officer is very similar to the RAAF's Operations Officer or Operations Manager: 

https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/jobs/Air-Force/operations-manager

Basically, they will take a lot of the billets in Sqn/Wing Ops, certain cubicles, etc that are currently filled by Pilots and ACSOs, to allow them to be back in flying units.  Higher up, they will also deal with the strategic planning, etc.
 

dimsum

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Eye In The Sky said:
Lots of talk about pilots.  Not much about ACSOs or any of the NCM aircrew trades.  Like I mentioned on FB when I saw the article, fill an Aurora up with pilots and it can't even take off.

But, I'm sure the concerns and burn-out for "non-pilot" aircrew and maintainers are on the Leadership's radar... :whistle:

The sad truth is that Pilots (and AECs) have a clear way out and people are leaving.  ACSOs, AES Ops, FEs and such don't, and so it's not as imminent of a threat. 

I would like to get more than GSO (and aircrew pay when flying) too... :'(
 

Eye In The Sky

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Our trade has some decent opportunities;  payload operators, contractors...there are job posting shared in our FB group and they seem to be fairly frequent. 

I guess, despite the fact the demand for our trade is growing in the RCAF, there's no GAFF for how healthy the trade is.  Just crank more people out of Wpg...that might keep numbers up, but not experience levels.  :dunno:

 

TCM621

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Dimsum said:
The sad truth is that Pilots (and AECs) have a clear way out and people are leaving.  ACSOs, AES Ops, FEs and such don't, and so it's not as imminent of a threat. 

I would like to get more than GSO (and aircrew pay when flying) too... :'(

Techs are in high demand as well. It isn't quite as bad as it was a few years ago during the oil boom but they are still leaving. And the ones that are leaving are the 10-12 year MCpl/Sgts, just as they are becoming "experienced" they are leaving. I would argue that techs are even more important than pilots right now because most of our aircraft take a ton of maintenance to actually fly. No point having pilots if the planes don't work. I know that my Sqn didn't meet its YFR primarily due to lack of serviceable planes.
 

daftandbarmy

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Albeit about the civilian side of the sector, apparently, it's not just about the money....


Strategies for Attracting and Retaining a Skilled Workforce
in a Cyclical Industry
A Study Prepared for
The Aerospace Review Secretariat
July 2012

Executive Summary:
This report describes the cyclical nature of the Canadian aerospace and space industries and the
challenges that cyclicality poses to retaining and replenishing the industries’ human capital. The report
also describes human resources management initiatives and strategies that might assist the industries in
attracting and retaining skilled and experienced workers. The report is based on a literature review, a
review of statistical sources, and eight key informant interviews.


The first group of strategies focused on firm-level strategies to retain skilled and experienced workers.
These strategies included relative remuneration, supplementary unemployment benefits, work-sharing,
and strengthening the linkage between short-term lay-offs and industry-relevant training.

The second group of strategies focused on potential strategies to replenish the human capital pool
available to the aerospace and space industries. These included: formulating a consensus to increase the
number of entry-level engineering positions, augmenting support for co-op and internship programs
(including tracking participation), exploring the scope for shared apprenticeship management, and
utilizing various options under federal and provincial immigration schemes.

The third group of strategies that were discussed pertain to sector-level human resources planning. An
important experiment that will be of interest to the industry is the PARC initiative in Quebec. This
section also looked at the industry’s need to consider options to preserve investments already made in
industry-recognized certifications. It was also noted that, outside of Quebec, there are data deficiencies
that will need to be addressed as part of any broadly-based strategy to address human resources planning
on a sector level.


http://aerospacereview.ca/eic/site/060.nsf/vwapj/Report_on_Cyclicality_and_Human_Resources_-_Final.pdf/$file/Report_on_Cyclicality_and_Human_Resources_-_Final.pdf
 

Quirky

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Seems appropriate here:

Contractors to help Air Force manage shortage of experienced pilots, technicians

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/contractors-to-help-air-force-manage-shortage-of-experienced-pilots-technicians-1.4738235

OTTAWA -- The Royal Canadian Air Force is turning to contractors to address a shortage of experienced military pilots that has forced commanders to walk a delicate line between keeping enough seasoned aviators available to train new recruits and lead missions in the air.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger revealed the military plans to hire contractors to fill some pilot-instructor positions so its active-duty aviators can continue to fly real missions in Canada and around the world.

"It'll be a small number in the order of nine to 10 for phase one," Meinzinger said. "And what that means is I won't have to post in that number of equivalent experienced pilots to teach at the school houses. Meaning they can stay out at the line units."

The hope is that most of those hired will be retired military pilots.

The measure follows a similar initiative to address a shortage of aircraft technicians, which has seen 49 contractors -- many of them retired CF-18 techs -- hired at Canada's fighter-jet bases in Bagotville, Que., and Cold Lake, Alta., to mentor and train younger personnel still in uniform.

The program is expected to cost $6.7 million this fiscal year.

The shortage of military pilots and technicians was first revealed in an explosive auditor general's report earlier this year in which the watchdog took aim at the Liberal government's plan to buy second-hand Australian jets. He warned that the air force needed more personnel -- not planes.

Efforts have since been made to better retain experienced personnel, in particular, by better supporting military families, tapping reservists to help with basic maintenance work and adjusting some positions to keep pilots in the air rather than flying desks.

The military is also working on a contract for a new training program that will let the air force increase the number of new pilots trained in a given year when necessary. The current program allows only a fixed number to be produced.

While progress has been made, officials say the air force is still short about 225 pilots. Any shortfall will become especially acute when Canada starts to receive new fighter jets, as the air force will be required to train pilots on the new aircraft while still guarding against any attack.

While the current shortfall has coincided with significant growth in the global commercial airline sector, Meinzinger is hoping experienced air force members will opt to keep working with the military as a contractor rather than leaving for a job somewhere else.

"If we can, as opposed to seeing someone leave a regular-force position and move into the civilian industry, we would rather them stay with us part time," he said. "So one of the things we've done is make that as agile a transition as possible."

The contractors are intended to be a short-term fix while the military works to attract and retain more personnel to meet its needs over the long term, Meinzinger added.

"I see these as temporary enablers. If we look at the long run and as we do more of the (recruitment and retention) work, ideally we get to a healthier point where we don't have to be as reliant on this particular provisioning as we are today."

Don't see the point of all this. Seems like a way for people to just release to avoid all the BS that comes with being in the military. Looks like they've given up on retention in the fighter world (I still believe it's 100% related to living in Cold Lake) and are focusing on keeping those things flying, no matter the cost.


 

daftandbarmy

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Quirky said:
Seems appropriate here:

Contractors to help Air Force manage shortage of experienced pilots, technicians

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/contractors-to-help-air-force-manage-shortage-of-experienced-pilots-technicians-1.4738235

Don't see the point of all this. Seems like a way for people to just release to avoid all the BS that comes with being in the military. Looks like they've given up on retention in the fighter world (I still believe it's 100% related to living in Cold Lake) and are focusing on keeping those things flying, no matter the cost.

The best leaders are also those who have experience, and enjoy, training others. Just sayin'... ::)
 

Quirky

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daftandbarmy said:
The best leaders are also those who have experience, and enjoy, training others. Just sayin'... ::)

That's fine and all, but this just gives pilots/techs an even bigger incentive to release. Retention doesn't seem like something the CAF is concerned with anymore and privatization of the defence force is becoming more apparent. 
 

RCDtpr

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The reality here is this is not an RCAF specific problem, it’s happening throughout the entire CAF.

One of the biggest factors for everyone I’ve talked to that released (myself included) was salary.  Having said that, I understand that is out of the CAFs control and it is what it is really.....nothing they can do about that.

What they CAN do to help with retention, in my opinion, is to not treat their people like garbage.  The other major factor from friends who’ve all released recently (myself included) is “leadership”.  In the 13 years I was in before releasing, I noticed a massive nose dive in the competence as well as quality level of human beings in the higher ups.  The toxicity from higher from when I left compared to when I joined is unreal in how much it’s elevated.  Perhaps it’s due to the fact that in the Afghan days, higher ups were too busy with real work, whereas these days it seems like they have nothing else to do so they implement some of the worlds dumbest decisions in an attempt to make their PER look more attractive.......which in turn drives people away.

Add to that the postings for the sake of postings, out of trade positions, the atmosphere of going to work and wondering if today is the day an OP Honour witch hunt is going to target you, and it’s plainly obvious to anyone below the rank of Col, it seems, why the CAF is having such retention and recruiting issues. 

To be honest, I don’t think this problem is going to get better before it gets worse.
 

daftandbarmy

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exCAFguy said:
The reality here is this is not an RCAF specific problem, it’s happening throughout the entire CAF.

One of the biggest factors for everyone I’ve talked to that released (myself included) was salary.  Having said that, I understand that is out of the CAFs control and it is what it is really.....nothing they can do about that.

What they CAN do to help with retention, in my opinion, is to not treat their people like garbage.  The other major factor from friends who’ve all released recently (myself included) is “leadership”.  In the 13 years I was in before releasing, I noticed a massive nose dive in the competence as well as quality level of human beings in the higher ups.  The toxicity from higher from when I left compared to when I joined is unreal in how much it’s elevated.  Perhaps it’s due to the fact that in the Afghan days, higher ups were too busy with real work, whereas these days it seems like they have nothing else to do so they implement some of the worlds dumbest decisions in an attempt to make their PER look more attractive.......which in turn drives people away.

Add to that the postings for the sake of postings, out of trade positions, the atmosphere of going to work and wondering if today is the day an OP Honour witch hunt is going to target you, and it’s plainly obvious to anyone below the rank of Col, it seems, why the CAF is having such retention and recruiting issues. 

To be honest, I don’t think this problem is going to get better before it gets worse.

So.... what you're saying is.... we need different morale patches, right? :)
 

dimsum

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daftandbarmy said:
So.... what you're saying is.... we need different morale patches, right? :)

Hey hey, we just got approval to wear sqn patches on the neck of the blue t-shirts and sqn coloured t-shirts on Fridays!    :nod:
 

daftandbarmy

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Dimsum said:
Hey hey, we just got approval to wear sqn patches on the neck of the blue t-shirts and sqn coloured t-shirts on Fridays!    :nod:

Whoa.... I take that back (and hug my knees while rocking back and forth sobbing softly) :)
 

PuckChaser

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Jarnhamar said:
Retention issues? Bah, just give them some patches.
Leather jackets and pearl grey tanks should have fixed everything.
 
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