phil1972 said:
..................Part of the problem is there are limited spaces on courses so some units block book people on it "just in case" there people can get the time off. ...........
First time I've heard of that happening. Perhaps you know something the rest of us do not? Courses will not take bookings without specific names. Some courses have guaranteed places for the RNR.
I agree that last minute course cancellations can bugger people up but they happen across the RN also, so the problem is not limited to the RNR. Ships break, instructors get crash drafted, operational commitments take priority. Unfortunately it is more hassle for us when it happens than simply returning jack to his ship.
To play devils advocate, how often do the RNR cancel off courses at the last minute, causing numbers to fall below course minimum or exercises to be undermanned.?
Part of the problem is we cannot/do not (as a whole) book far enough in advance. I once tried to submit an RNR 16 11 months in advance , only to have it thrown back at me and told I couldn't submit it until 3 months before the exercise.
If applications had to be made (e.g) minimum 2 months in advance, final course numbers would be known early enough to give people plenty of warning of cancellations.