RAF Recruitment | Parents and Guardians

The Royal Air Force is an inclusive organisation made up of elite military personnel working side-by-side to make a difference.

DOWNLOAD PDF GUIDE

WHAT WILL THEY DO?

Each job provides your family member with the opportunity to a play a key role in one of the world’s most advanced military forces. Your family member will have the opportunity to get involved in everything from preventing civil war to delivering humanitarian aid, aiding communities in the UK and hosting ceremonial events.

TRAINING

Quality education is one of many benefits of the RAF. All our personnel perform at the forefront of their field through continuous learning, hands-on experience and training. Whatever job your family member does, our trainees gain professional skills and qualifications.

RECRUIT TRAINING

Basic recruit training takes place over 10 weeks at RAF Halton for Aviators entrants or 24 weeks at RAF Cranwell for Officer entrants. It will make your family member fitter and more confident and prepare them to carry out their role in the RAF. It will also challenge them mentally and physically, and there are experienced instructors on hand to guide them through it.

SUPPORT IN THE RAF

Your family member will be part of a large community where wellbeing is at the forefront. Personnel’s wellbeing is essential to enable our RAF Regulars to be fully effective in their duties. Advice and support services are available to help with everything from settling in to planning a foreign posting for them and their family.

PARENTS’ DAY

If a family member has been successful in his/her application to join the RAF, you will receive an invitation to attend the Parents’ Day at RAF Halton or Cranwell. Giving parents an insight into what the recruits will be going through over the next 10 weeks. The day also includes a talk with the Squadron Commander and a tour of the facilities available on site.

LIFE IN THE RAF

Our RAF Regulars can be posted across the UK and at bases all over the world. Our personnel will do what’s needed to get a job done, which could mean working round the clock, going on a mission at a moment’s notice, or transferring to a new location. The RAF is no nine-to-five job.

Personnel develop a great deal of trust and confidence in each other because of how much they come to rely upon one another during their time at the force. The RAF is full of people who come from all walks of life but are on the same wavelength.

That’s a great platform on which to build strong bonds and friendships. Regulars are never far from a familiar face. As well as forging new friendships, friends from outside the RAF are always welcome on base.

Most bases are like small, self-contained towns with shops, gyms, playing fields, crèches, post offices, cinemas, and even bowling alleys. Recruits will live in on-base accommodation during their initial 10-week training. Allowing them to get to know their new colleagues, work as a team and learn about the RAF.

Why join the RAF?

Rent from £75p/m
Free gym
Subsidised food
Health care
World travel
Training

See All Benefits

DOWNLOAD OUR PARENTS & GUARDIANS GUIDE

DOWNLOAD PDF

HOW LONG WILL MY FAMILY MEMBER BE AWAY FROM HOME FOR DURING TRAINING?

Recruit training at RAF Halton lasts for 70 days and is split into six sections. To find out more about this please click here. For an Officer in the RAF, Initial Officer Training takes place at the RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. This involves a challenging 24 week course designed to develop leadership and management skills. For information about training at RAF Cranwell please click here.

WILL I BE ABLE TO CONTACT OR VISIT A FAMILY MEMBER DURING THEIR TIME AWAY?

Throughout training there will be the opportunity to call home during evenings. Recruits are allowed to bring a mobile phone for use in free time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A TRAINEE FALLS ILL OR IS INJURED DURING TRAINING?

All recruits are looked after by station medical and dental teams. If too ill to train, recruits will be excused from duty until well enough to return.

ARE THERE BREAKS FOR MY FAMILY MEMBER TO RETURN HOME AT WEEKENDS OR DURING HOLIDAYS?

There may be occasions when trainees can return home during Initial Training, but this is very much dependent on the training schedule.

WHAT IS THE STANCE ON BULLYING AND HARASSMENT?

The RAF has a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and harassment both during and post training. We have dedicated Welfare and Support Personnel on all of our stations who are there to assist with any problems a trainee may have.

WILL I BE ABLE TO VISIT MY FAMILY MEMBER DURING TRAINING?

Part of recruit training at RAF Halton includes Parents’ Day, which is part of the first day of the course. This is to give parents an insight into what the recruits will be going through over the next 70 days. Parents are given the chance to ask questions and also speak with the Squadron Commander or Deputy Commander. There is a tour of the facilities and parents can witness the formal attestation. Other guardians or partners are welcome to come along.

ONCE TRAINING IS COMPLETE WHERE DO PERSONNEL LIVE?

Post training, personnel in the RAF may be required to live on one of our many stations either in the UK or overseas. To see a list of stations visit www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS WILL RECRUITS GAIN AND ARE THEY RECOGNISED BY CIVILIAN EMPLOYERS?

RAF Accreditation provides opportunities to gain nationally recognised civilian qualifications through the accreditation of education, training and experience to maximise recruitment, retention, career development and resettlement benefits.

RATHER THAN START AN RAF APPRENTICESHIP, SURELY MY SON OR DAUGHTER MUST START COLLEGE OR SIXTH-FORM IN SEPTEMBER IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY?

RAF apprenticeships are on an equal par with other educational programmes. Serving in the RAF provides relevant training for young people and is a valid and valuable career route. Not all young people will be able to join immediately after the end of the year and may be concerned about having to start a further education course in line with Government policy. Young people who have been recruited to serve in the armed forces may, on occasion, have to wait for a training place and the gap could be as much as five to six months. Where this is the case, your son or daughter should consider how they might use their time constructively, for example by improving their academic skills or seeking temporary employment.

ARE RAF APPRENTICESHIPS AS GOOD AS THOSE OF OTHER EMPLOYERS?

No, they are better! The RAF has been awarded the level of ‘Outstanding’ for its apprenticeship training schemes – a rarity in both the defence and civilian worlds.