Welcome to 2402 (Burghfield) Squadron Air Cadets Website.
Thinking of joining? - Our Next Recruitment Evening will be Wednesday 16th May 2012 at 19:40
at The Scout Hut, Hollybush Lane
Awards & Qualifications
While at the Air Training Corps there are several awards and qualifications you can earn.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a voluntary, non-competitive programme of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people aged 14-25.
The Award programme consists of three levels:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
Each has differing criteria for entry and the level of achievement necessary to complete each award.
The Air Training Corps is the Commonwealth's largest and highest achieving operator of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. At any one time there are 15,000 cadets participating in the scheme, and 3000 Air Cadets per year gain gold, silver and bronze awards - in fact, the first ever recipient of the Gold Award was an Air Cadet.
Royal Highness Prince Philip is the ATC's Air Commodore-in-Chief. Air Cadets who meet the age criteria can join the award scheme and gain badges to wear on their uniform.
Each award is broken down into 4 areas (5 for gold) which participants must complete successfully to receive their award.
These are:-
- Service
Helping others in the local community.
- Expeditions
Training for, and planning of a journey.
- Skills
Demonstrate ability in almost any hobby, skill or interest.
- Physical Recreation
Sport and fitness.
- Residential project
(Gold Award only) A purposeful enterprise with young people not previously known to the participant.
The Award is widely recognised by employers as it helps demonstrate that award holders are keen to take on new challenges, have a higher level of self confidence than their counterparts, and have leadership qualities with the added experience of teamwork.
Cadet Qualifications
In recent years the Cadet Forces have recognised the need for employers to gain a real sense of what our cadets and staff achieve. This is now being put in force with the introduction of BTECs and NVQs. For cadets there are two options:
BTEC in Aviation Studies
This is split into 2 levels from 2007. The BTEC Award is available to any registered cadet completing Leading Cadet exams. For those who complete Senior and Staff Part 1 examinations the BTEC Certificate in Aviation Studies is available and is equivalent to a double GCSE grade A*-C in Science.
BTEC First Diploma in Public Services
This qualification is offered in many colleges over 1 or 2 years, however our cadets are able to complete it as part of their training, free of charge. Cadets must be involved in activities such as D of E, Sport, Adventure Training, Sport and Expeditions. They have to produce a piece of coursework issued in September for completion by the following February, as well as a workbook and presentation. Cadets have to be in Year 11 at school to register, and this qualification is equivalent to 4 GCSEs at grade A* – C.
Author: Cdt D Johnson