Vanguard Magazine

INTERVIEW individual and collective training will con- tinue to rely on dedicated physical infra- structure. For example, the CSC project is not just about acquiring ships, but entails investments in new and modified jetties, warehouses, testing and training facilities. One such infrastructure project is the Combatant Training Integration Centre – Atlantic (CTIC-A). The secure facility will house a collaborative training and op- erational support community of interest focused on the integration of CSC opera- tions, technology, data, training, research, and development. It is not possible to overstate the inter- dependency between the design and deliv- ery of training and ensuring the existence of suitable infrastructure to support train- ing functions. Q Does the RCN envision a situation where training courses are virtual and therefore geography agnostic where students independently progress at their own rate, including whilst serving at sea? One of our goals is to expand our ability to provide training at the place and time of need. This would allow for training and associated materials/references to be available in the student's geographical lo- cation to the greatest extent possible. It is difficult for people outside the mili- tary to fully imagine and appreciate the numerous steps needed to prepare a sailor adequately to serve onboard a Canadian warship at sea. The profession of arms de- mands a unique set of knowledge and skills. At times NPTG training establishments re- semble universities, focused on imparting theoretical knowledge. At other times they could be mistaken for trade schools, pro- moting the hands-on acquisition of practi- cal skills. Once an individual's occupational qualification is achieved, we start combin- ing sailors with complimentary abilities and develop their capacity to operate in teams of increasing size and complexity. The delivery of this hybrid form of train- ing will continue to be multi-modal, and when necessary, individualized. The three main delivery mechanisms will likely re- main to be face-to face, virtual, and blend- ed delivery. NPTG plans to introduce this capability as described by the FNTS concept, enabled by a fit-for-purpose Digital Framework and support Distributed Learning Environ- ment (DLE) technologies in the schools, on ships, and in remote locations, acces- sible via mobile devices or other means. Increasing our use of virtual technolo- gies will permit us to teach in ways not possible before. We will enhance the qual- ity of training in most areas, make it ac- cessible where it wasn't before and reduce costs in other applications. There are many benefits associated with virtual technolo- gies, but it is unlikely to ever displace all other instructional methods entirely. Q Understanding that training and edu- cation are intrinsically linked to personnel policies which are a CAF responsibility, can you explain how closely naval training policy has worked with naval personnel policy? Specifically, with occupations changing to reflect modern warfare, as well as amalgamation of separate oc- cupations, how do you see naval training continuing to evolve and what are some of the difficult issues to overcome? A simple way of understanding maritime capability is as the product of people, training and equipment. Any change in the nature of our sailors or the ships they sail in necessitates change to the training which aims to impart the knowledge and skills required to operate safely, effectively and confidently at sea. Providing effective training to a diverse workforce across the range of specialized occupations of today's navy, which has been "steady state" since the completion of HCM/FELEX is, in and of itself, a challenge. Traditionally the level of effort and resources required to deliver on our training mandate surges whenever change is introduced either in the form of modifi- cations to personnel policies, occupational criteria, upgrades to fleet architecture or in the most extreme instances, introduction of a new class of vessel. Regardless of the catalyst we know that change will always place recurring de- mands on the training system as it is a nec- essary consequence of innovation, renewal and progress. At NPTG we recognize the imperative to become better at change management. We are in continual discussions with the people who manage personnel policies and are pursuing innovative approaches to training design as well as technologi- cal solutions to make ourselves more agile and responsive to changes in occupational specifications. We are committed to ensuring the train- ing systems we create are easily and afford- ably modified and feature multi-purpose, adaptable and reconfigurable trainers which will make NPTG a more agile, ef- ficient and effective change management organization. We also foresee transitioning from our current training model based on occupa- tion specifications to one based on the performance of defined tasks. Curriculum comprised of modular, task- based training packages will lessens the im- pact of training adjustments by permitting greater flexibility and multiuse of learning objects. Additionally, when modifications are required to learning objects, the scope of work will be reduced to what is essen- tial thereby reducing costs and resource requirements. Members of the Air Detachment onboard the HMCS WINNIPEG (FFH 338) conduct a foc'sle transfer and hoist training during Operation PROJECTION while sailing the Pacific Ocean, August 18, 2022. Photo: DND www.vanguardcanada.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 19

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