(Ottawa) The Armed Forces are sounding the alarm about its recruitment problems: they lack recruits to fill the thousands of vacant positions in its ranks.
Posted at 9:26
The problem is so dire that the senior officer responsible for recruiting and training describes the situation as a crisis.
Brigadier General Krista Brodie said the army has only received about half of the applications needed to meet its goal of adding 5,900 new recruits to its ranks this year.
About one in ten military jobs are vacant. This lack can also have repercussions on the future hierarchy since fewer people are available to climb the ladder.
Hiring managers are trying to better understand this problem and find solutions. They plan to offer financial incentives and improve family-work balance. They also want to improve the perception of the army within the population.
The Canadian Armed Forces also want to improve the recruitment of underrepresented groups into their ranks, such as women and Indigenous peoples.