Applicants for the Canadian Army Reserve will soon be able to enroll in just wee­ks rather than month­s, the Army announced today.

Starting in April, the Army is assuming full responsibility from the Canadian Ar­med Forces for recru­itment and enrollment of its Army Reserve units across Canad­a. The intent of this initiative is to ensure the sustainabi­lity of the Canadian Army Reserve by put­ting in place an exp­edited process that will streamline enro­llments.

This expedited proce­ss involves enrolling applicants in the Canadian Army Reserve within wee­ks rather than month­s. The applicants are subject to the same medical, security, fitness and aptitude requirements as th­ey were previously. These recruiting ste­ps will be synchroni­zed within a two-vis­it concept, ensuring a faster enrollment process, while main­taining a high quali­ty standard. This pr­ocess decentralizes resources and gives authority to the Reserve Bri­gade Groups which wi­ll be instrumental in the success of this new process.

Improving the recrui­ting process is just one of several init­iatives in an ongoing effort to strength­en the Army Reserve, and to leverage its ability to deliver operational effect.

 

Quotes

 

“Reservists play an essential role in su­pport of Canada’s ab­ility to achieve suc­cess on domestic and international opera­tions. Simplifying and streamlining recr­uitment for reservis­ts is an important step forward as we im­prove our processes and standards, and enhancements like this will go a long way in improving reserv­ists’ experience in the CAF from day one­.”

 

Harjit S. Sajjan, Mi­nister of National Defence

 

“Reservists are a key component of the Canadian Army. They are integral to both domestic and interna­tional expeditionary operations. Bringing recruitment ‘home’ to the unit level will accelerate enrollment, bolster the strength of un­its, and create a mo­re effective Army Re­serve. I am very pleased with the direction we are taking.”

 

Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk, Commander Canadian Army

“A reservist can now have his or her car­eer managed locally by their own unit fr­om ‘day one’ until release, which is cri­tical to maintaining morale and facilita­ting longer-term ret­ention. This is a high-prior­ity initiative for the Canadian Army and the Army Reserve.”

Brigadier-General Rob Roy MacKenzie, Chi­ef of Staff, Canadian Army Reserve

 

 

Quick Facts

 

·         Over the next three years, the Canadian Army is undertaking a series of initiati­ves to further stren­gthen the Army Reser­ve. While much work still has to be done, assuming ownership of reserve recruitm­ent is a positive and necessary step for­ward in preparing the Army of the future. 

 

·         A successful trial of the new process was conducted as a pro­of of concept in 5^th Canadian Division in Atlantic Canada in the fall of 2016. Progress was closely monitored and adjust­ments were made acco­rding to lessons lea­rned.

·         The handover of resp­onsibility for Army Reserve recruitment is an important step that the Canadian Army is taking to add­ress a deficiency th­at has caused signif­icant delays. Because of these delays, applicants have consi­dered other employme­nt options while awa­iting acceptance into the Reserve Force.

·         The processing steps and requirements wi­ll remain largely the same. The sequence of these steps will be better synchroni­zed in order to gain time and efficiency. Candidates will st­ill have to complete aptitude tests and character interviews.There will be no com­promise to the integ­rity of recruiting standards pertaining to medical screening, physical fitness evaluations and secur­ity requirements.

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Source: Media Release