Abstract for: Evaluating Strategies for Controlling Attrition Rate of Canadian Air Force members

The Canada's Air Force (CAF) has been faced with a challenge of retaining skilled, qualified, and trained members. It is common that every year approximately 10 to 15 percent of members from almost all occupations leave the CAF at various ranks. Due to such consistent loss of members, shortage of members has been causing a multi-dimensional undesirable impact (such as work overload, imbalance between work and family life, delays in training and promotions) on the existing members. The researchers at the CAF have identified factors such as low pay and benefits, undesired postings, work overload, and more engagements in non-job related activities. This research explores the underlying structure that drives attrition rates. A formal simulation model is developed that replicates the attrition problem of the CAF. The development of the model uses the data collected through interviews of subject matter experts, and reports of previous work carried out by the CAF staff. The parameters of the model are calibrated based on numeric data of last seven years. The model results are quite promising and consistent in replicating the historical data. The simulation model presented here demonstrates the capability of evaluating the relative benefit of polices aiming at controlling the attrition rate.