I think that the one thing we have to change is the concept of where individual training (IT) and collective training (CT) happens in the ARes.
IMHO, the first thing as far as IT is concerned is that DP1 for NCMs and officers need to be identical for ARes and RegF. That requires upping what the ARes currently does, but also reducing RegF courses to their fundamental "must knows" and repackaging courses into blocks of 25 days each.
DP 1 courses need to be "mandatory" training. And for all ARes pers, DP1 courses need to be mandatory. A high school student would be able to take two x 25 day blocks in a given summer. A college or university student probably four such blocks and both could take one block during the winter on a one 2.5 day weekend per month for ten months. Accordingly a high school student recruited as an NCM before the end of June in year 1 would complete five months of training by the end of August of year 2. That's adequate for most trades. Officer candidates would take the same summer training cycle as their RegF RMC counterparts and have DP1 completed by the end of their university schooling. All other training for NCMs and officers post DP 1 would be voluntary so people can progress or not progress as they wish.
Higher end technical trades can be addressed by having a system whereby individual DP1 students learned the technical trade during the winters at a civilian community college or university with a military subsidy for tuition but not pay. The DP1 blocks are military skills conversion courses that build on the basic skills learned at the CC or university.
All DP1 candidates are placed on a basic training list (BTL) managed by a regional "depot" battalion which belongs to the army's individual training group (CITG) which has several "depot" companies providing DP1 training at various location in their region. That could be at a regional training facility and/or at a local location such as an armoury, as appropriate. Note that CITG and its units are also responsible for the RegF BTL. (As well as the advanced training list (ATL) for both RegF and ARes.)
All ARes recruits sign up for an obligatory period of service that covers the time spent on mandatory DP1 training plus - let's say for example - three years of collective training with a unit afterwards plus three years of Supplementary reserve service after releasing from the primary reserve.
Once trained to the DP 1 standard the individual is transferred from the BTL to a given ARes unit for CT.
A Unit's CT cycle starts in September of each year and consists of ten mandatory 2.5 day training weekends (Sept - June) and one 16.5 day summer exercise in August leaving July free for vacation time. During the winter cycle the unit follows a rigorous army directed training program that includes such things as annual refresher and qualification training and some preparatory training for the summer exercise. The format of the summer exercise is also directed and resourced by the army to provide the appropriate level of collective training desired for the unit by the army. As an example in year 1 the unit concentrates the full two weeks on defence; in year 2 the advance to contact or whatever outcome the army considers appropriate in order to gradually develop the skill sets needed by the unit.
Progression to DP2 and above is entirely voluntary and is again managed through an ATL run through the CITG and its subordinate depot battalions and companies. Such programs will be explicitly run during period when the units CT training is not occurring. In short, everyone is there for unit mandatory CT and some individuals, who volunteer, take additional DP2 and above training in the off time on either training nights or (more probably) a 2.5 day weekend per month and on summer courses. DP2 and above training takes place at military schools, training centres or local armouries as appropriate.
Again for DP2 and above courses, the system must closely mirror ARes training with RegF training. Again, each type of course must be rigorously designed and broken into blocks into must knows - which everyone, RegF and ARes must take - and could and should knows - which aren't necessary for an ARes member but which are desirable for full timers. This not only facilitates the training of ARes members in the essential knowledge and skills needed to progress, but also facilitates transfer between components in clearly identifying training that a transferee needs to complete to retain or regain his ARes rank.
The ARes system must be set up in such a way that all ARes members have an attainable path to the ranks of major and MWO through part-time service and courses. Promotion to LCol and CWO and above would only be available to individuals who have completed the RegF side of DP 2 and above training. My hard line in the sand is that since the intent is to have ARes units as deployable and viable entities it is essential that the most senior offr and NCM in each unit have the training and much of the experience necessary to not only command the unit in a tactical sense but to oversee the administration of the unit as a CAF entity. I can also see that ARes soldiers up to the rank of major could, with just their ARes training occupy part-time staff positions in their units and at higher formations.
Progression through DP2 training for the ARes should be fairly simple, matters become more complex at DP3 and above levels and need to be examined in detail. If one looks at the average unit of 550-600 personnel, roughly 360-400 are DP1 privates and corporals. The remaining 200 or so are leaders; roughly 100 master corporals, and another 90 or so as sergeants and WOs. Another 40 or so or so are officers of which roughly 30 are DP1 captains and lieutenants and roughly seven majors and one lieutenant colonel. With an estimated 10% annual turnover rate of releases and component transfer, that means that each battalion must be provided with two platoons of newly trained DP1s every year while the battalion can expect to have an 80-90% complement of DP1 trained personnel some of whom will need DP2 and above progression training. Most important is DP2 training to handle of the the specialized capabilities for the 500 or so members of the unit who are the "workers." That should be made as simple as possible, again in course blocks as early in a members career as possible. For example there is no reason why a private coming off DP1 training and joining his unit in September of year 2, can't attend a one block LAV or IFV driver's course voluntarily training on weekends in the winter and/or a month in the summer. Some training could attract additional periods of obligatory service while retention bonuses could be offered to individuals at the end of their existing obligatory service periods.
A fundamental change in Canada's attitude to military service is the concept of getting rid of "parade when you feel like it" to easily manageable mandatory training requirements and periods of obligatory service to "pay back" the costs of training and introduce some stability into the units composition year-to-year. IMHO, the ARes cannot be "fixed" until the primary reserve is restructured to incorporate these concepts. There are other elements such as employer legislation etc, but I've gone on long enough.
