Canadian Armed Forces recruitment program shows promise

Over a year since its inception, the Naval Experience Program (NEP), launched last spring by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), appears to be achieving some of its intended goals.

The program was created as an innovative approach to attract and retain new recruits, helping stem the tide of the military’s ongoing staffing crisis.

“To date, the enrollment target of 144 participants was surpassed, with 179 successful enrollees, demonstrating a promising start for NEP,” RCN said in a news release. “There are currently more than 500 applicants remaining in the recruiting process.”

The program offers rookie sailors the opportunity to experience military life without the commitment of a longer-term contract: a feature designed to appeal to prospective and younger recruits who may be hesitant to make a more permanent commitment.

Upon signing a one-year contract, NEP recruits undergo an eight-week basic training course before proceeding to specialized navy training in either Esquimalt, B.C., or Halifax, N.S. 

The program accepts applicants aged 16 to 57, with minors under 18 requiring parental permission.

Brandon Yen, the divisional officer overseeing the program, believes the unique opportunity is what has been drawing people in.

“There are no strings attached to it,” Yen told CityNews. “Coming out just for a year rather than signing a three- or four-year contract, people get to go and do some pretty cool things that nobody ever in their normal lives gets to do.”

Out of the initial 179 enrollees, the RCN says 23 sailors have now completed the program. The navy reports that 74 per cent of them have opted to stay in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

“The first cohort [has] been really successful so far,” Yen noted. “On the west coast, we are striking our capacity for how many sailors we are bringing in.”

Another distinctive feature of NEP is that it allows graduates to transfer to other sectors within the CAF.

From the nearly two dozen sailors who completed the program, the RNC said, “Three have completed an occupation transfer to the Regular Force, while another 14 transfers are currently being processed. These transfers include 8 to RCN, 4 to the Canadian Army, 2 to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and 3 to other CAF organizations. Additionally, 2 participants have transferred to the Naval Reserve, and 4 have been discharged from the CAF.”

CAF reported a shortfall of approximately 16,000 troops in both regular and reserve forces across all military branches in late 2023. The report also revealed that around 10,000 soldiers also lacked the necessary training for deployment. The RCN commander attributed some of these challenges to the recruitment wing consistently missing its targets for over a decade.