Summer Training Opportunities

As with promotions, summer courses are awarded on the basis of merit. All courses require cadets to have achieved a minimum level of training to be eligible, and some have an age requirement as well. Cadets who join after January 31 of the current training year are not eligible for summer courses until the following year.

2023 Summer Training Information

Staff Cadets: To apply for staff cadet you must be 16 years old before the course date starts.  Complete the staff cadet application form - it is seperate from the other courses. 

For Summer 2021 the majority of courses will be offered in a virtual setting. The above Application Form identifies which courses are virtual and those that are in person (in accordance with public health measures).

Virtual Summer Training Applications forms are to be emailed to 810air(at)cadets.gc.ca 

Summer Course Criteria (Non-Covid Environment)

As with promotions, summer courses are awarded on the basis of merit. All courses require cadets to have achieved a minimum level of training to be eligible, and some have an age requirement as well. Cadets who join after 31 January of the current training year are not eligible for summer courses until the following year.

There are three basic types of summer courses: Quota courses, Scholarship courses and Music Courses.

Quota courses are divided into 3 categories:

1) Familiarization courses;
2) Introductory Specialty courses; and
3) Advanced Specialty courses.

We call these Quota courses because the squadron is allotted a certain number of male and female spots on these courses, based on the quota of cadets we have in the squadron. Unfortunately, this quota usually only allows approximately 20% of our cadets to attend these courses each year. The squadron staff compiles a list of the cadets and which courses they would like to attend.

Confirmation of cadets eligibility is double checked and then prioritized by the type of course (Familiarization, Intro Specialty, Advanced Specialty) by male and female, so that the most deserving cadets (using our Standings database) are at the top of the list for each category. The cadets are inputted based on the priority list and course vacancies are filled.

Scholarship Courses are between 3 and 7 weeks in duration. Cadets must apply for these courses before Christmas, and must complete exams and/or interviews as part of the selection process. The number of positions available for each course varies by province, region, course, and location of the course. Cadets who are interested in these courses must submit a personal narrative, school transcript and other required documents as outlined in the Scholarship Manual. The staff goes through the applications to ensure eligibility.

Generally, we can only submit one or two applicants for each course, so we must prioritize the candidates and make our selections for first, second third choice etc. If a cadet is not eligible for a course, we recommend other courses for which they are eligible. Alternatively, if a cadet will not be our first or second choice for their desired course, we will encourage them to consider another course.

Once the candidates are nominated by the staff for a scholarship course, the cadets are given a course to help them prepare for exams and interviews. Cadets interested in Flying or Gliding Scholarships should take the Squadron Ground School course beginning in the fall and going until early January, when they write the exams. In February, interviews are held for all candidates in Innisfail. Based on the candidate’s exam marks (if applicable) school marks, application and interview marks, the Air Cadet League makes a priority list for the final selections for these courses, filling the available vacancies for this province. For example, if there are nine spots available for Alberta cadets to attend Technical Training, the top nine cadets will be selected and the remaining cadets will remain on the priority list as spares. If one of the top nine cadets cancels for any reason, the next cadet on the list will be selected.

Music Courses are 3 to 6 weeks in duration. To apply for a music course, cadets must complete a Music Course Application that must be signed by their music instructor. The Commanding Officer makes a recommendation and then the application goes to Winnipeg. The Regional Cadet Music Advisor makes the final selections for these courses, based on vacancies available for male and female, the instruments played and experience needed for the desired course.

Due to the restrictive quotas on some courses, a deserving cadet may not get to go to camp because there were not enough slots available. We will try to place them higher on the list the following year, to ensure they get a course ahead of cadets in a lower level than they. For example, first year Cadet Bloggins didn’t get to go to Basic this year, though he was very deserving. Next year, he will be at the top of the list for Basic, ahead of the new first-year cadets, unless he is selected for another course.

It is a very difficult process to make selections for scholarship nominations and priority lists from all the cadets who apply for camp.The resources and accommodations at camp make it impossible to send everyone who applies. We try to make our selections in the most objective and fair fashion possible, basing our decisions on the cadet’s performance, their standings, their potential, and the squadron’s needs for the following year. This process usually takes the staff about three (3) hours to complete.

Below is a table listing all courses available to cadets.They are listed in order of the minimum training level required to be eligible for that particular course. The cadet must currently be in that level or have completed that level to be eligible. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are Scholarship courses.