Friday Night Retention Schemes
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: wales
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Of course a degree entitles you to more pay...not really
Graduates do not get any more pay than non-graduates. Yes, you get to Flt Lt earlier, but having done 3-4 years in Uni then there has to be some incentives. Graduates would not be recruited at all if the package was'nt right.
Moreover, a fair few coming out of Sleaford Tech have been ex-airmen/women; half their time in rank counts towards getting their Flt Lt - Would you say they had 'Service Experience' and therefore qualify?
Graduates do not get any more pay than non-graduates. Yes, you get to Flt Lt earlier, but having done 3-4 years in Uni then there has to be some incentives. Graduates would not be recruited at all if the package was'nt right.
Moreover, a fair few coming out of Sleaford Tech have been ex-airmen/women; half their time in rank counts towards getting their Flt Lt - Would you say they had 'Service Experience' and therefore qualify?
Join Date: Nov 1998
Location: UK
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Yep, I would say that was service experience. When the RAF was twice the size it is now you could become part of the two winged master race with 5 O-Levels - how did we manage without everyone being a graduate? I suppose most of those guys were just happy to fly.....
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Even longer ago you get into pilot training with 2 'O' levels and Advanced Proficiencey from the ATC/CCF. I know some got in that way and did very well, with out any degree at all, except a degree of application and persistence!
Join Date: Jan 2000
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WelshOne, you are correct that graduates do not get any more pay than non-graduates but achieve Flt Lt earlier. However, non-graduates have to eke out up to 6 years of their early RAF careers on pitiful APO/Plt Off/Fg Off wages, all the while watching their degree endowed colleagues spend money like its going out of fashion.
Not for me though, I've got qualifications up the ying yang and accordingly received 30 months seniority upon joining. Ha ha!
The system is a bit crap though, disregarding impressionable school leavers, the pay scales do not work to entice non-graduates to join the RAF, who may have a number of years post-6th form work experience. Surely the RAF could reward such people with higher pay upon joining in recognition of the fact that they will probably take a drop in salary to join in the first place. APO Annual rate is £16,654, hardly enough to cover the cost of living for someone in their early to mid twenties with, perhaps, spouses, kids or a mortgage.
While we are on the issue of wages/retention I've had an idea. Instead of waiting till the 38/16 point before trying to retain officers, why not get Junior Officers in their twenties to sign up for a few more years extra service in return for a couple of grand extra a year for the remainder of their (extended) service. Should be able to sign up bucketloads, just think, you could get all those skint APOs for a start and all the Pilot & Flying officers trying to save up for a 3.0 litre v6 24v chick magnet.
Not for me though, I've got qualifications up the ying yang and accordingly received 30 months seniority upon joining. Ha ha!
The system is a bit crap though, disregarding impressionable school leavers, the pay scales do not work to entice non-graduates to join the RAF, who may have a number of years post-6th form work experience. Surely the RAF could reward such people with higher pay upon joining in recognition of the fact that they will probably take a drop in salary to join in the first place. APO Annual rate is £16,654, hardly enough to cover the cost of living for someone in their early to mid twenties with, perhaps, spouses, kids or a mortgage.
While we are on the issue of wages/retention I've had an idea. Instead of waiting till the 38/16 point before trying to retain officers, why not get Junior Officers in their twenties to sign up for a few more years extra service in return for a couple of grand extra a year for the remainder of their (extended) service. Should be able to sign up bucketloads, just think, you could get all those skint APOs for a start and all the Pilot & Flying officers trying to save up for a 3.0 litre v6 24v chick magnet.
Join Date: Nov 2000
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One of my holding posts (of which there were many - and totalling 3 and 1/2 years) was keeping track of the other holding u/t pilots of 3FTS. Other than try to make contact with them occasionally and finding ways of getting their flying pay started I had to provide various statistics to the highly paid help. One such 'interesting' set of statistics included comparing graduates against non-graduates in the flying training system. The 'interesting' part is that a higher percentage of Fg Trg students without degrees were graduating Fast Jet Trg compared to those with degrees.
So it could be argued that the RAF would be wise to invest in the younger folk who haven't just spent 3-4 years soaking their brains in guinness, their stomachs in curry and their lungs in tar. Of course 85% of statistics are only 70% true on 30% of occasions, and I was a direct entrant at 21.
So it could be argued that the RAF would be wise to invest in the younger folk who haven't just spent 3-4 years soaking their brains in guinness, their stomachs in curry and their lungs in tar. Of course 85% of statistics are only 70% true on 30% of occasions, and I was a direct entrant at 21.
