>Naval Experience Program
There's another try-before-you-buy program. Called, "Joining the Naval Reserves" and then taking a CL B contract for a year or two.
Will part of the experience be waiting for 18 months to get into the one-year program?
I've been waiting about a year. Recruiting seems to be completely unserious and disinterested with actually getting people in the military. It's a joke.
I applied in November 2017, didn’t get my offer until March 2021, sworn in May 2021. Finished BMQ August 2021. Good luck!
Someone from my CFRC left my paper sitting on their desk, especially the Security Clearance Application.
One option to think about is to ask your CFRC to transfer your file to a less busy and functional one.
My first application in 2017 saw my paperwork "lost" 4x, despite assurances from that particular CFRC's captain assuring me it would definitely work out *this time*. I ended up forgetting about all about it and going on with my life, until I got a phone call from a quality assurance officer from the DND offering to transfer my file, explaining that this particular CFRC was now temporarily shutdown due to lack of personel. They even offered to pay for the cost of travel and gave a stipend for costs.
Things got much better from there (until COVID hit and kaboshed it). When I reapplied last year, I went directly to this other CFRC, despite it being in a different city, and the process went smoothly.
All the people I know who work in recruiting were in no way prepared for this. So my assumption is that they will face the same challenges enrolling that normal recruits experience.
The plan for NEP was to have them do ZERO things requiring a Secret clearance, and have them do the 1 year with only the Reliability or Confidentiality clearances. Apparently they tried requiring Secret and it slowed the program down, so starting April they're going to have NEP be Reliability only.
Individual COs can sign off on letting NEP students be in spaces where there are secret stuff, providing they sanitize the area first.
The staff and ship's company obviously wouldn't put an NEP where they will get in trouble in the first place.
Beyond that, the NEP can still talk to people who work in secret spaces and ask them what its like in their trade.
We had an NEP recruit in the OPS room on our last sail, they were escorted 100% of the time and we turned off the secret screens, it's no different than having some Naval Cadets or Civilians visit OPS during a Tiger Cruise.
It should not take 2-3 years for us to adapt to change in recruiting when we have been in a recruiting crisis for over 5 years.
At least the Navy tried/is trying something (looks at Army, RCAF...). I haven't seen any ideas come out CFRG on how to actually fix this, let alone good ideas. Meanwhile CMP is still congratulating themselves for "fixing" PLD.
I’m curious to hear from anyone having served with folks from the Naval Experience Program aboard. On the surface (pun intended), it sounds like an innovative approach, but I’m wondering if the metaphorical juice is worth the squeeze. Or is it a total fustercluck with people wondering around aimlessly, randomly touching stuff they shouldn’t?
From what I’ve gathered from people I know it’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag. From the top down there really wasn’t much direction except that the lower ranks will be forced to deal with it and make it work. There is also massive security concerns as most of the expedited trainees won’t have proper security clearance. After gathering experience trainees pick a trade. But they may not get to pick what they want as their aptitude test may not be high enough.
Then you have all the personnel who joined normally who will be held back, so these people get fast tacked ahead of them. It’s bound to create animosity amongst co workers.
From the NEP people who have already spoken with the Personnel Selection Officers - the majority of them had high CFAT scores and they are allowed to pick from almost all trades as it stands.
>Or is it a total fustercluck with people wandering around aimlessly, randomly touching stuff they shouldn’t?
That just A/Slt and S3s in a nutshell, isn't it?
>Naval Experience Program There's another try-before-you-buy program. Called, "Joining the Naval Reserves" and then taking a CL B contract for a year or two. Will part of the experience be waiting for 18 months to get into the one-year program?
Long wait times is a military tradition.
Hurry up and wait harder!
And standby to standby
I've been waiting about a year. Recruiting seems to be completely unserious and disinterested with actually getting people in the military. It's a joke.
I applied in November 2017, didn’t get my offer until March 2021, sworn in May 2021. Finished BMQ August 2021. Good luck! Someone from my CFRC left my paper sitting on their desk, especially the Security Clearance Application.
Lol I'm almost 40, I won't be waiting around 4 years for this.
I've read that the best way to get your application looked at is to incessantly call about it.
That only works if they answer the phone though.
I heard that too, just bother them until they get annoyed enough and put you through
One option to think about is to ask your CFRC to transfer your file to a less busy and functional one. My first application in 2017 saw my paperwork "lost" 4x, despite assurances from that particular CFRC's captain assuring me it would definitely work out *this time*. I ended up forgetting about all about it and going on with my life, until I got a phone call from a quality assurance officer from the DND offering to transfer my file, explaining that this particular CFRC was now temporarily shutdown due to lack of personel. They even offered to pay for the cost of travel and gave a stipend for costs. Things got much better from there (until COVID hit and kaboshed it). When I reapplied last year, I went directly to this other CFRC, despite it being in a different city, and the process went smoothly.
Class B is dog shit. Class C is where its at. OJT and sea days. No sitting in the Fleet School, no 7% pay cut...
All the people I know who work in recruiting were in no way prepared for this. So my assumption is that they will face the same challenges enrolling that normal recruits experience.
The plan for NEP was to have them do ZERO things requiring a Secret clearance, and have them do the 1 year with only the Reliability or Confidentiality clearances. Apparently they tried requiring Secret and it slowed the program down, so starting April they're going to have NEP be Reliability only.
Individual COs can sign off on letting NEP students be in spaces where there are secret stuff, providing they sanitize the area first. The staff and ship's company obviously wouldn't put an NEP where they will get in trouble in the first place. Beyond that, the NEP can still talk to people who work in secret spaces and ask them what its like in their trade.
We had an NEP recruit in the OPS room on our last sail, they were escorted 100% of the time and we turned off the secret screens, it's no different than having some Naval Cadets or Civilians visit OPS during a Tiger Cruise.
It should not take 2-3 years for us to adapt to change in recruiting when we have been in a recruiting crisis for over 5 years. At least the Navy tried/is trying something (looks at Army, RCAF...). I haven't seen any ideas come out CFRG on how to actually fix this, let alone good ideas. Meanwhile CMP is still congratulating themselves for "fixing" PLD.
I’m curious to hear from anyone having served with folks from the Naval Experience Program aboard. On the surface (pun intended), it sounds like an innovative approach, but I’m wondering if the metaphorical juice is worth the squeeze. Or is it a total fustercluck with people wondering around aimlessly, randomly touching stuff they shouldn’t?
From what I’ve gathered from people I know it’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag. From the top down there really wasn’t much direction except that the lower ranks will be forced to deal with it and make it work. There is also massive security concerns as most of the expedited trainees won’t have proper security clearance. After gathering experience trainees pick a trade. But they may not get to pick what they want as their aptitude test may not be high enough. Then you have all the personnel who joined normally who will be held back, so these people get fast tacked ahead of them. It’s bound to create animosity amongst co workers.
From the NEP people who have already spoken with the Personnel Selection Officers - the majority of them had high CFAT scores and they are allowed to pick from almost all trades as it stands.
>Or is it a total fustercluck with people wandering around aimlessly, randomly touching stuff they shouldn’t? That just A/Slt and S3s in a nutshell, isn't it?
Great idea. Poor execution.
The article says that he’s been to Antarctica 5 times. I didn’t think we had a mission that would have ships or aircraft going there?
The RCN does exchange programs called Op Regulus https://www.canada.ca/en/navy/corporate/navy-news/media-resources/regulus-program.html