Prospective Canadian Forces

[jdobbin]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...efa0a22&k=40939

An extensive profile of potential recruits to the Canadian Forces reveals personality traits of being more extroverted, more agreeable, marginally more open, less conscientious and less emotionally stable than the average Canadian, according to a recently released federal government report.

In order to prepare future recruitment programs for the Department of National Defence, the profile also finds that potential future soldiers prefer comedies on television, action flicks on their movie screens, rock and rap music on the radio and Cosmopolitan and People magazine on their reading table. The national survey, which cost taxpayers $156,000, was conducted by TSN Canadian Facts Inc. in February and March.

Among the small pool of respondents who said they were likely to join -- only six per cent of the population said they were somewhat or very likely to enrol -- it identified men, aboriginal peoples, those under 25 and the unemployed as the demographic groups most ready to sign up.

I suppose we'll be seeing more targeted ads to this demographic.

Sounds like its a very small pool for potential recruits.

[M.Dancer]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...efa0a22&k=40939

An extensive profile of potential recruits to the Canadian Forces reveals personality traits of being more extroverted, more agreeable, marginally more open, less conscientious and less emotionally stable than the average Canadian, according to a recently released federal government report.

In order to prepare future recruitment programs for the Department of National Defence, the profile also finds that potential future soldiers prefer comedies on television, action flicks on their movie screens, rock and rap music on the radio and Cosmopolitan and People magazine on their reading table. The national survey, which cost taxpayers $156,000, was conducted by TSN Canadian Facts Inc. in February and March.

Among the small pool of respondents who said they were likely to join -- only six per cent of the population said they were somewhat or very likely to enrol -- it identified men, aboriginal peoples, those under 25 and the unemployed as the demographic groups most ready to sign up.

I suppose we'll be seeing more targeted ads to this demographic.

Sounds like its a very small pool for potential recruits.

6% means that out of an available manpower pool of 12 million Canada could raise a volunteer armed force of 720,000.

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 6,740,490

females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.)

Yearly recruitment could be sustained at 24, 000

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...a.html#Military

[weaponeer]

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...efa0a22&k=40939

An extensive profile of potential recruits to the Canadian Forces reveals personality traits of being more extroverted, more agreeable, marginally more open, less conscientious and less emotionally stable than the average Canadian, according to a recently released federal government report.

In order to prepare future recruitment programs for the Department of National Defence, the profile also finds that potential future soldiers prefer comedies on television, action flicks on their movie screens, rock and rap music on the radio and Cosmopolitan and People magazine on their reading table. The national survey, which cost taxpayers $156,000, was conducted by TSN Canadian Facts Inc. in February and March.

Among the small pool of respondents who said they were likely to join -- only six per cent of the population said they were somewhat or very likely to enrol -- it identified men, aboriginal peoples, those under 25 and the unemployed as the demographic groups most ready to sign up.

I suppose we'll be seeing more targeted ads to this demographic.

Sounds like its a very small pool for potential recruits.

Firstly, it is mostly men who join the military, there's nothing new there. Little girls do not grow up playing soldier, or dreaming of being fighter pilots... even though they can be...

Second, "those under 25" are the ones to join. Try getting up at 0400 and going for a 10km run when your 35, it hurts and we older folks are much too wise for that. Military life is physical, and you need to be in shape, youth helps...

Third, responsible unemployed people are activly looking for work, so they will most likely run into recruiting ads, and may consider joing..... someone with a job, a good job, is not looking for anything else, and most likely will not join. Although, there is a girl on my crew back in North Bay that quit her job at a law firm (she's a lawyer) to join the CF, she loves it, and No, she's not a JAG.....

The aboriginal one is news to me, good news. There are some in the forces, they are dammed good soldiers, the ones I have known....

The military is a volunteer org, and you will only ever get those interested in the military to join. Unless there's conscription, that's how it is. We have very professional drill instructors who take these folks and mould them into effect soldiers...

[Leafless]

I suppose we'll be seeing more targeted ads to this demographic.

Sounds like its a very small pool for potential recruits.

So, what exactly are you saying, that the current pool of potential recruits consist of airheads rather than being intellectually inclined?

[jdobbin]

So, what exactly are you saying, that the current pool of potential recruits consist of airheads rather than being intellectually inclined?

I was referring to Canada as whole with only 6% of the country considering serving in the military.

[jdobbin]

6% means that out of an available manpower pool of 12 million Canada could raise a volunteer armed force of 720,000.

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 6,740,490

females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.)

Yearly recruitment could be sustained at 24, 000

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...a.html#Military

That 6% the military needs to target is the same group of people that are highly sought after by many employers. The oil industry, for example, throws money at the this demographic to the extent that it must drain off potential recruits. Remember that unemployment is a demographic the military looks for.

[jdobbin]

Firstly, it is mostly men who join the military, there's nothing new there. Little girls do not grow up playing soldier, or dreaming of being fighter pilots... even though they can be...

Second, "those under 25" are the ones to join. Try getting up at 0400 and going for a 10km run when your 35, it hurts and we older folks are much too wise for that. Military life is physical, and you need to be in shape, youth helps...

Third, responsible unemployed people are activly looking for work, so they will most likely run into recruiting ads, and may consider joing..... someone with a job, a good job, is not looking for anything else, and most likely will not join. Although, there is a girl on my crew back in North Bay that quit her job at a law firm (she's a lawyer) to join the CF, she loves it, and No, she's not a JAG.....

The aboriginal one is news to me, good news. There are some in the forces, they are dammed good soldiers, the ones I have known....

The military is a volunteer org, and you will only ever get those interested in the military to join. Unless there's conscription, that's how it is. We have very professional drill instructors who take these folks and mould them into effect soldiers...

The military will always attract people looking for a different and more exciting career. However, I think the point of the government commissioned poll was to figure out who potential recruits are going to be.

It is a small pool to draw upon and one, as I said, that the oil industry and others are targeting with ridiculous amounts of money.

Given the targets admitted thus far by the recruitment, the military might have to offer greater bonuses and pay to keep numbers up.

I believe we had this conversation a few months ago about how equipment (such as ships) sit idle because of a lack of crew.

The military is now in the midst of the biggest purchases since World War II and it is likely we'll see it even push higher. It sounds like recruitment will have to get a bigger push to keep up.

[M.Dancer]

[Remember that unemployment is a demographic the military looks for.

Which is why they also actively recruit engineers, doctors, lawyers.......There is nothing in the article that says the DND will be actively pursuing the unemployed only that many who choose the armed forces are looking for employment.

As it stands today, they still turn away thousands who want to join, some because they can only train X many in a given year and some because they are unfit. The Small Pool as you call it is still millions deep. And they probably need far less than 6% of that pool. Probaley 3%

[jdobbin]

Which is why they also actively recruit engineers, doctors, lawyers.......There is nothing in the article that says the DND will be actively pursuing the unemployed only that many who choose the armed forces are looking for employment.

As it stands today, they still turn away thousands who want to join, some because they can only train X many in a given year and some because they are unfit. The Small Pool as you call it is still millions deep. And they probably need far less than 6% of that pool. Probaley 3%

I believe the military prior to the last extension was saying it was important to have a break between deployments for the reason you gave: that they have had not enough people to train new recruits because part of the force is in Afghanistan, part of the force is about to go to Afghanistan and part of the force has just gotten back from Afghanistan. Not enough trainers is what I recall the argument was. It was part of the reason that last year the Auditor said recruitment was having such a problem getting back to people including, in one case, an experienced doctor who was trying to volunteer.

[ScottSA]

Which is why they also actively recruit engineers, doctors, lawyers.......There is nothing in the article that says the DND will be actively pursuing the unemployed only that many who choose the armed forces are looking for employment.

As it stands today, they still turn away thousands who want to join, some because they can only train X many in a given year and some because they are unfit. The Small Pool as you call it is still millions deep. And they probably need far less than 6% of that pool. Probaley 3%

I believe the military prior to the last extension was saying it was important to have a break between deployments for the reason you gave: that they have had not enough people to train new recruits because part of the force is in Afghanistan, part of the force is about to go to Afghanistan and part of the force has just gotten back from Afghanistan. Not enough trainers is what I recall the argument was. It was part of the reason that last year the Auditor said recruitment was having such a problem getting back to people including, in one case, an experienced doctor who was trying to volunteer.

The military is using reservists for the most part to man the recruitment drive, and people are applying in droves. Like Momo said in one of his infrequently correct posts, the pool is not "small," but quite deep and full of fish.

[jdobbin]

The military is using reservists for the most part to man the recruitment drive, and people are applying in droves. Like Momo said in one of his infrequently correct posts, the pool is not "small," but quite deep and full of fish.

Canadians have always been drawn to the military. Still, given our recent census numbers and employment numbers, I still don't know that the pool is as deep as people here keep on insisting it is.

[geoffrey]

I was referring to Canada as whole with only 6% of the country considering serving in the military.

The US doesn't even have 6% participation in the armed forces. What more do you want? 6% is a very healthy figure.

[jdobbin]

The US doesn't even have 6% participation in the armed forces. What more do you want? 6% is a very healthy figure.

The poll wasn't on participation rates but who was willing to serve. Do you have data on how many are willing to serve?

[geoffrey]

The US doesn't even have 6% participation in the armed forces. What more do you want? 6% is a very healthy figure.

The poll wasn't on participation rates but who was willing to serve. Do you have data on how many are willing to serve?

Nah. Maybe more. Likely more. Whatever the case, 6% is more than we'd ever need by at least 7 times. So this figure is only good news for the forces.