NCM SEP and AVN Tech?

[Scarlet]

Greetings all!

I've been a lurker for a very long time on this site, researching and gathering as much info as possible. It's been a very helpful resource for me.

I'm giving serious thought to joining the Air Force as an AVN Tech. I spoke with a recruiter just yesterday morning about this, and I was told about the NCM SEP. I was already somewhat familiar with this plan, but it was spelled out in full for me. Apply to the CF, get in, apply to a college program for your trade, and as long as you get in, you get a full time paycheck, school paid for, the works. After your successful completion of said program, you get promoted to Corporal. CRAZY!

I can see the Pros of going this route as being quite clear: I can stay in Toronto while I do my schooling, get my full training under my belt in two years as opposed to four, AND get promoted much faster.

Has anyone here gone through this program for AVN Tech? And so I know the flip side of things, how would my training differ going through the military, other than it taking longer? Am I missing something?

(Mods, I've done a search on this topic...the only hits for this program were for VEH Tech or LCIS or others)

I'd appreciate any input and advice you guys can give me.

Thank you!

 

[belka]

I say do whatever you can to stay out of CFSATE. If you can complete the training in civy street and still get paid, then go for it.

 

[cp140tech]

I've never met anyone who's gone the SEP route for AVN.  It sounds like a pretty sweet gig, I'd take a stab at it if I were you and AVN is a trade you're interested in. 
I'm surprised that they promote you to Cpl early upon completion of the program.  Anybody know what the rationale for that is?

 

[Scarlet]

When I talked to my recruiter, she also told me the program changes often and the trades offered one month may not be there the next. She told me to expect changes after April 1st...hopefully AVN Tech will be available again! (It wasn't at last check).

I guess two years of schooling on civi street is equivalent to completing all your q's? I can't see why else they'd promote someone to Corporal so fast.

Here's to hoping that in the next few weeks or so, I'll find out AVN Tech is still available in this program. If not, I guess I'll be heading to Borden. It can't be that bad.

 

[Eids of March]

If you end up joining the program, make sure you have a few dated hard copies of the career progression chart. (I've included a sample of the terms under which I've joined, which have since changed.) I almost got burned when I graduated, because the policy changed. When I joined, members were to receive Spec 1 pay upon graduation from the civvy program and 24 months in. However, the policy changed during my schooling so that members wouldn't receive Spec 1 until much later. But, because I kept a hard copy of the original terms, it was sorted out.

cp140tech: I speculate that the rationale for early promotion is to sweeten the deal and entice recruitment.

 

[Eids of March]

I found the new NCM-SEP list with the new (dated 20 Feb 08 in the document properties) career profiles. It's too big to upload, and the link is DWAN access only.

AVN stuff is on page 18, and Cpl is not awarded until after QL5 OJT.

It's still a good deal, though. Once your obligatory service (2 months for every month of subsidized education) is done, you have the option of getting into civvy aircraft maintenance with a college diploma and 3-4 years of experience under your belt.

 

[Scarlet]

Thanks for the advice, BabyShaker.

I tried that link to the pdf file, but the site won't load.

 

[Eids of March]

Must be DWAN access only, sorry.

I could copy and paste to a word doc but that may violate OPSEC.

(If it's not publicly accessible, I shouldn't post it.)

 

[Scarlet]

Fair enough. Thanks though

 

[ptekev]

They wont promote you to Corporal upon completion of your college ..you need 4 years in the forces before that happens..trust me I tried . I went through NCM-SEP to and Im just getting promoted this September. And to get Spec now you need a type course on your first bird you're going to be working on. So don't count on that. But everything else you said was true I got all of it .