October 21, 2025
RED FM News Desk
A new audit report has revealed that the Canadian military is lagging in recruiting and training enough members to meet the country’s operational requirements.
In a report tabled in the House of Commons this morning by Auditor General Karen Hogan, it was found that despite a renewed recruitment push and massive spending commitments from the federal government, thousands apply annually, but on average, only about one in 13 applicants ends up starting basic training.
Between 2022 and 2025, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) planned to recruit more than 19,700 new members. During this period, nearly 192,000 people applied, but only around 15,000 were ultimately recruited.
The audit found that the military was not fully tracking why thousands of candidates dropped out or failed to complete the recruitment process. While the military aimed for a recruitment time between 100 and 150 days, it often took twice as long.
The report also stated that even if the recruitment targets had been met, the CAF “did not have sufficient basic training capacity to meet demand.” Although the military managed to increase the number of cohorts and brought in temporary instructors last year to train the uptick in candidates, the CAF conceded that “this was not a sustainable way to train new recruits.”
Furthermore, the report found that the CAF is facing challenges in attracting and training enough “highly skilled recruits” to reach full staffing levels for some key occupations, such as pilots and ammunition technicians.
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