‘Ad-Venture’ in Training

Graduates of HMCS Venture’s General Military Training Instruction (GMTI) course gather for a graduation photo at the Collier Building, Nov. 10. Photo: Corporal Tristan Walach / MARPAC Imaging.

Peter Mallett, 
Staff Writer

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The new training facility at CFB Esquimalt is already proving itself as a critical benefit to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

As a result of HMCS Venture’s new mandate, 18 successful candidates graduated from the General Military Trainer Instruction (GMTI) course on Nov. 10. The course is typically delivered at Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruitment School (CFLRS) in Saint-Jean-sure-Richelieu, Que.

“The General Military Trainer Instruction (GMTI) course is instruction and training for our people on how to deliver one of our assigned courses, the Basic Military Qualification,” said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Angus Fedoruk, HMCS Venture Division Commander. “This is one of the first ways the new Venture is proving what it can do under its new mandate.”

GMTI was championed and organized by Chief Petty Officer Second Class (CPO2) Luc Poirer-Potvin, key member of leadership instruction at HMCS Venture and former instructor at CFLRS. It prepares NCMs and Junior Officers to instruct Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) and Primary Leadership Qualification (PLQ) courses. The new training course will help address CAF personnel shortages, which aligns with CAF Reconstitution efforts currently underway at the instruction of General Wayne Eyre, Chief of Defence Staff.

HMCS Venture’s training mandate expanded and now includes Naval Warfare Officer, Naval Technical Officer, Second Language Training, and RCN leadership training that includes Officer and NCM courses. A reorganization in the Naval training system created HMCS Venture out of the Naval Training Development Centre (Pacific) and elements of the Naval Fleet School (Pacific).

The fresh cohort of graduates learned skills such as instructing drill lessons, including demonstrating the ideal sequence, inspecting personal kits, preparing interviews with candidates, providing feedback on their progression, managing recruits, initiating performance reviews, resolving deficiencies, and completing course administration duties.

“Instructor candidates must display good character, maturity and sound judgement required to fulfill their mentoring and leadership duties,” LCdr Fedoruk said. “These are important attributes because the instructors model the qualities and values we wish to transmit to trainees as well as to their peers once they return to their units and resume their day-to-day roles.”

LCdr Fedoruk stated that no additional Venture staff are slated to undertake GMTI training. “Qualifying local staff in GMTI aimed primarily at increasing our capacity to conduct DBMQ courses. That requirement no longer exists, a consequence of the lifting of restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased capacity by CFLRS St Jean. If we anticipate resuming DBMQ in future then additional participation in GMTI coursing would make sense,” he said.

“Participation in the GMTI training is another example of how HMCS Venture differs from its namesake (NOTC Venture). We have a new mindset and mandate to train not only officers but leadership and culture across all RCN ranks,” LCdr Fedoruk said.