Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that effective immediately RCMP Cadets will receive an allowance of $500 per week for the duration of their 24-week training period.
"Our goal is to make the choice of a career as a Mountie all the more attractive for the legions of smart, fit, dedicated young Canadian men and women who dream of becoming RCMP officers," said Prime Minister Harper, who was joined at the announcement by Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Stockwell Day. "This will help cadets meet financial obligations that they cannot ignore during training."
The RCMP expects to recruit more than 8,000 new officers over the next five years, equivalent to nearly half of total current force strength. Meeting the target is a challenge because the selection and training process is so rigorous and because there is intense competition for talented young people in Canada's high-employment economy.
Providing cadets with a modest training allowance will remove one of the recognized impediments to recruiting. The RCMP has reduced the application processing times from an average of nearly 300 days to 83 days. They have also made greater efforts to accommodate officer deployment preferences, and to inform cadets of their likely postings before the end of the application process.
"As a result of these changes, the force now expects to meet its target of a one thousand officer net increase by 2013," said Prime Minister Harper. "That means more police patrolling our streets and communities, more protection for Canadians and their families, and better national security for major international events like the Winter Olympics and the G8 Summit in 2010."
For more information on a career with the RCMP, visit www.rcmp.ca or contact a local recruiting office.
