Background
Effective education and development is a continuing critical activity for today's Army. Responsibility for ensuring it takes place is exercised through the chain of command but overall learning strategy is formulated by the Directorate Educational And Training Services (DETS). Over the last three years, after a challenge from a new Adjutant General, they have developed and promoted a new model: 'whole life development'.
Essentially whole life development is based on a recognition that both professional development and personal development matter to the modern army. Personal development can be divided into three categories:
Category 1 deficits or needs concern what the soldier must be able to do in his or her current job. A deficit here can be critical. There is also an essential need to remedy basic skills deficits.
Category 2 deficits are those that will affect eligibility for future jobs - at which stage they will become Category 1 needs.
Category 3 concerns development activities that are driven by personal motivation - they lie beyond the boundaries of immediate and future jobs.
Should category 3 learning matter to the Army?
Major Chris Hanlan, who is responsible for the application of whole life development, is convinced category 3 should matter, though he admits that strong opinions to the contrary have been expressed. However, internal surveys have shown that in many cases it is these learning opportunities that are valued the most by the soldiers. Many are linked to external qualifications - project management for example. If soldiers are offered the opportunity to pursue such learning, they feel that they are acquiring skills that will benefit them when they leave the Army. One effect, paradoxically, is that it can improve retention.
More generally the acquisition of learning skills is of wider benefit, whatever the context in which they are acquired. These categories have assisted in clarifying training and learning in the Army. Another result is the firm recognition that the responsibility for dealing with any learning deficits lies firmly with the chain of command (the individual's manager).
Most importantly the model makes sense in the organisation. 'Cat 1', 'Cat 2' and 'Cat 3' deficits have become part of the vocabulary. They will shortly be made more explicit in an Army educational intranet that is under development.
Career pathways
Another major change that was introduced in 2001 concerned the introduction of career pathways. Initially, they were presented in a paper version on an individual's personal development record. Soon these will be set out on the educational intranet.
The underlying principle is simple. For each of the major activities (infantry, logistics, medical, etc) a promotional pathway is displayed with corresponding training and learning opportunities displayed alongside. Various mandatory training activities, which apply to that activity, are shown, as are army-wide activities.
Although the principle may be simple, the introduction of career pathways in the Army was very challenging. It marked a conceptual change, as it was a move to greater transparency. The preparation of pathways also forced a number of challenges to the development processes.