By David Dunlop, 4 April 2023
It appears the RCN is taking the 'bull by the horns' to change recruitment requirements for Canadian citizens. The new program is open to all Canadians and permanent residents. This could be a real boon for naval recruitment if this program works out. It may also go CAF wide in the future. This is certainly refreshing thinking out of the box, and certainly could have been used years ago to alleviate RCN shortages.
12 thoughts on “New Recruitment Project for the RCN”
Who really wants to join the navy and be installed on to a bunch of 40 year old rusted out ships or submarines, and the AOPS has nothing more than a pea shooter for defense? Any thing new will be decades away or nothing at all. Proud of the men and women who do serve for Canada.
So people do indeed still want to join the RCN but not in the numbers we need to sustain and grow it. The bad publicity is the #1 reason why people are not joining and processes are in place to change that. That being said we must make an effort to recruit and also retain the personnel we have, cutting benefits, ie PLD, doesn’t help. As for AOPS, believe it or not many people want to be posted there as it’s new.
This is a Canadian version of the ADF’s gap year program. Nothing new and kind of sad that they are copying them.
But the problem is not that they do not wish to do cool navy jobs. It takes time to get this personnel trained. As well, the pay for personnel posted to both coasts. First Victoria is not a cheap city for junior officers and new NCMs. And Halifax is getting up there. The new pay level is too sad for a response. We need mid-level personnel who can lead and train new people. But we lack those people. And now we are driving them out of the force by getting rid of PLD for CFHD for seven years. Why? Just for 30 million in savings? Or is it the fact that the person who made the policy never spend a day at sea or on naval bases. The new pay is not enough for an S3 to live in Vic or Halifax. Unless they live on the street. This is too messed up. If they don’t stay. We will have perpetual personnel crises in the Navy.
Yes, PASSEDMOST. Absolutely correct! Our CAF could use a much improved pay raise especially the S3 sailor. If we show them that the RCN have good paying jobs then maybe these 12 month “sailors” would stay longer! Then maybe we wouldn’t have this “personnel crisis’ in the future Navy!!!!!
You realize that the CAF just received a 10% economic increase?
Sir, they are still under paid! Why is it our troops must pay for their meals out of pocket and are not getting reimbursed? I’m talking about our troops in Poland training the Ukrainians. What an utter embarrassment for Canadians not to mention the military. Or the CBC full of crap?
They are getting reimbursed, just not in a timely manner. Personnel across the board are short. It is unacceptable and that is being fixed.
Hello RETIRED RCN. 10% increases will just not do when it comes to this new program. A tax free sign on bonus (to be paid back in total if the ‘new sailor’ gets cold feet before the year is over) of say $15,000 would be a good gesture from the government to ‘seal the deal’.
Speaking from my own experience I applaud the government for doing this. I took several years to make up my mind between high school and university. In that time I was fortunate to work as a deckhand on Canadian Coast Guard ships. I also took an additional year at university and worked in the North Sea Oil fields. Both were transformative experiences. My concepts of seamanship, good leadership and my own work ethic come from those ships. I saw the best and the worst in people. I saw extraordinary landscapes and seascapes that gave me a connection to this country, that as an immigrant I did not previously have. Learning to work in the cold and with motion sickness has been useful too. My eventual career choice was Aerospace. Even so today, when I think of an example of Real Power it is a buoy tender. The extraordinary beauty of a heeling deck, the grinding of winches, the clank of chain, pouring water and the awe of an overhead 10 tonne Gas and Whistle buoy suspended on a crane hook while working with a very rough team that could function without a single word being spoken. Again I applaud the government, I hope others can have that experience too.
So one of the biggest things that has recently happened is allowing PRs [permanent residents] to join and that’s fine and a good move.
However and this is my own experience, when someone comes to the recruitment office with a BA Hons degree, and a MSc Masters degree in Logistics Transport Supply Chain Management plus other qualifications around the same field and on top of that 18+ years working in and around the defense logistics industry including sea time on board ships and submarines and you tell them “sorry you got to start as an AB enlisted” right there I walk out the door.
Why? Simply because I can earn more money in industry, be home regularly, and in my own home country (UK) if I walked up to the recruitment office today I’d end up commissioned at the very least to Lt rank. My UK qualifications were fine for IRCC, fine for industry here in Canada and were above what any Canadian university offered (which is why I didn’t opt to study here) but the only establishment where they are not valid is the RCN.
Sorry but I worked out I’d take about $120,000 pay cut to join as an AB and quite frankly and honestly there’s no way that is happening, as a commissioned officer it would be more palatable.
Hopefully the RCN is not as “short-sighted” as you suggest with PR’s with those kinds of credentials. They could give them a “conditional” commission as an Acting SLT and pay them for the first year at that rank with perhaps a more lucrative sign-on bonus.
Hello,
Some thoughts about recruitment and retention challenges. This is something I see across multiple sectors and industries on the civilian side, but equally valid for defence.
First, our current societal model has pushed the cost of living far above the reasonable pay levels. Generally, employers cannot match the higher salary and benefits needed to sustain a decent and moderately prosperous lifestyle.
Second, our societal and civilizational model has infantilized the population. Adults dress, speak and behave like teenagers. They therefore think like teenagers too. Much of our population simply no longer has the maturity needed for life’s work, let alone defense.
Third, there is a misconception about defense work. It is supposed to be difficult. One must accept and embrace the reality that ultimately, the primary requirement is to sacrifice one’s life. It is not just another “business unit” or “trade”.
Last, much of our “taskings” overseas are of dubious direct, or even intrinsic, value to the average Canadian. Why sign up to go on ill-defined missions with no clear benefits?
Tie these and other factors together, and we have the situation where the very segment of the population that should sign up, does not and cannot see any value in doing so. This condition is exacerbated by political meddling lacking clear long-term goals.
Regards