A modular training programme for technical trades in the Australian Defence Force

Abstract

The Royal Australian Signals Corps (RASigs) runs bi-annual trade courses camps for Army Reservists in RASigs. The aim of the courses camps is to provide these soldiers with the same trade competencies as their Regular Army counterparts. The Initial Employment Training (IET) courses for Regular Army soldiers run for many months full time, and it is not feasible for Army Reservists, most of whom have civilian employment, to undertake these long duration courses. In order to provide Army Reservists with the same training, the IET courses are modularised and condensed into multiple 16-day long blocks. The outcome of the courses is that Army Reserve RASigs soldiers are suitably qualified to work and deploy in their trade roles with little or no extra training. The current paper highlights the training methodology used by the Defence Force School of Signals (DFSS) and RASigs to ensure that Army Reserve soldiers receive a sufficient level of training, enabling Army Reservists to deploy on exercises and operations with Regular Army personnel.