Staff Cadet FAQ

The group uses staff cadets to assist on the mountain activities courses at Llanbedr and Windermere. This page gives a brief outline  of the process for selecting staff cadets, and answers some of the questions commonly asked by cadets

1. Aspirant staff cadet: a cadet aged 16-17, who has attended several courses, has shown the potential and interest in becoming a mountain leader and been invited to join the staff cadet scheme
2. Staff cadet: a cadet aged 18-19, who has been assessed as having the required personal qualities, skills and experience. Usually, but not necessarily, a senior NCO in their Squadron
3. Instructor: a staff cadet normally comes to be regarded as a full member of staff at the age of 20, regardless of rank. While accepting that there may be certain administrative anomalies with the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer, these anomalies are unlikely to present practical problems in the context of Wing courses

At the moment, cadets are invited to become aspirant staff cadets when they start making themselves genuinely useful both in the centre and on the hill. By this time they will have shown that they are reliable and that their personality is compatible with staff and cadets on the courses

In practice, this is a gradual process as the cadet gains experience and technical skills and grows into the role. When the point was discussed by current staff and staff cadets there was general agreement that a full staff cadet should be over 18, and have the personal qualities of a potential mountain leader

In the past some cadets have been regarded as staff cadets simply because they turned up for lots of courses and made themselves useful around the centre – for example, by helping to cook breakfast, or issue kit. Unfortunately, some of them showed little interest in gaining the skills required to become mountain leaders, and one or two even lacked the basic fitness to keep up with the cadets on the course

When discussed, all agreed that a staff cadet should be trying to acquire the skills, experience and qualifications to become an instructor. Any suggestion that someone could be used as a staff cadet without any ambition to become a qualified mountain (or canoeing ) leader was strongly rejected. 

Staff cadets sometimes say that they don’t feel sufficiently involved in the running of courses – especially when the course is fully staffed. On short courses it is actually quite difficult to find genuinely useful work for staff cadets to do, although this list of duties gives some guidance.

Staff cadets need opportunities to lead parties on the hill, under the supervision of course staff, and course leaders try to provide these opportunities when it is practical - normally on the longer courses like Windermere. When this is not practical, course leaders try to involve the staff cadets in the decision making and risk assessment processes

Wing Adventure Training Technical Officer: Flt Lt John Smith RAFVR(T)         Web site by: Flt Lt Geoff Bowles RAFVR(T)       Last updated  24 March 2001