Cadet Training

When you are accepted as a Cadet with the RCMP, you will start your training at Depot, the RCMP Training Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan.  Here you will be assigned to a troop of 32 cadets, and begin a 24-week Cadet Training Program (CTP) that has a long and proud history.

You will receive a cadet allowance during your 24-week training. The current cadet recruitment allowance is $500/week, to a maximum of $12,000. The RCMP also covers your room and board, uniform, training courses, insurance and travel to and from Depot.

The recovery of any Cadet Allowance will be possible if a cadet voluntarily withdraws or quits Depot (this will be assessed case by case).

Cadet Training is offered in both official languages, English and French. A typical day lasts from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but there are also program-related duties after hours.

The CTP is based on principles of community policing and problem-based adult learning, CAPRA (Clients, Acquiring and analyzing information, Partnerships, Response and Assessment). It revolves around a system that teaches you to focus on the client’s perspective in any given situation.

As a Cadet, you will be largely responsible for your own development. You will be required to collect information, resolve problems in consultation with partners, and continuously monitor and improve work practices. You will complete assignments and training activities alone and in groups.

The learning environment is highly interactive and includes scenarios, case studies, role plays, lectures, panel discussions, presentations and community interaction.

Your training will include:

• Applied Police Sciences;
• Police Defensive Tactics;
• Police Driving;
• Firearms;
• Fitness; and
• Drill and Deportment and Tactical.

After successfully completing the  Program, you may be offered employment as a Regular Member of the RCMP with full pay as well as health and other benefits. Once employed, you must then complete a six-month Field Coaching Program at selected training detachments where you are involved in everyday police duties under the supervision of a Field Coach.

Learn more about the Cadet Training Program. You will also find more details in the Family Information Guide to Depot Division.

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FAQs

How physically fit should I be before attending the Training Academy?
Applicants are expected to enter cadet training with a good level of physical fitness. The training program is not designed for cadets to “get in shape”, but rather to allow each cadet to enhance their education, skills and abilities in fitness. Cadets who arrive at Depot in less than good physical condition often struggle with both the physical and the academic aspects of the Cadet Training Program.

What kind of physical training is involved at the Training Academy?
The physical demands of a typical training day are difficult for cadets who are unfit. A training day may include marching on parade (troop inspection) at 0615 hrs, “doubling” from class to class (double time marching; similar to a jog), or sparring in Physical Defence Tactic, marching/running/performing push-ups in drill, running 4 miles and climbing 9 flights of stairs... all before noon!

After a quick lunch, the same troop may perform in the Sergeant Major’s noon parade, then attend a classroom lecture and a firearms training session in the afternoon. Missing the bus and having to run out to the firearms range, meeting an instructor to practice the PARE after classes and squeezing in a weight workout after supper may further compound the activity of the day. Be prepared to enter Cadet Training with a good level of physical fitness.

Is training both physically and academically hard?
Overall training is both physically and academically demanding though each individual handles the demands differently. Cadet’s days are long and they are expected to do extra work in the evenings for both the physical and academic activities. The training is designed to prepare Cadets for police work, therefore; it is meant to push them to their maximum.

I am a single parent. Can I bring my children with me to Depot?
You cannot bring your children to Depot. While in training at Depot, you will have to leave your children with someone you trust. You will be able to communicate with your children and family by phone and email every day. Leaving your family for six months might seem like a big sacrifice, but when you think about it, six months is not that long to enjoy a great career for the next 25 years or more.

Do I have to live on the Depot campus?
Yes, you are required to live on the Depot campus while at training. It is your choice as to whether your family moves to Regina while you are training but they are not allowed to live on the campus. You are required to do evening and weekend activities, which does not allow for much free time to spend with your family.