Articles / What Is Junior Leadership Course? Military NCO Training Guide
Development, Training & CoachingDiscover what a Junior Leadership Course is and how it prepares soldiers for NCO roles. Learn about training content, requirements, and career impact.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
A Junior Leadership Course (JLC) is a structured military training programme designed to prepare soldiers for their first leadership roles as Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (JNCOs)—developing the command, leadership, and management skills necessary to lead small teams, whilst instilling the attitude, knowledge, and competencies required for effective performance at the next rank level. This training represents the critical transition from being led to leading others.
The journey from soldier to leader marks one of the most significant transitions in any military career. Whilst combat skills and technical proficiency remain essential, junior leadership adds entirely new dimensions: responsibility for others' welfare, tactical decision-making, and the challenge of earning respect whilst maintaining discipline. Junior Leadership Courses exist precisely for this developmental moment.
This guide examines what junior leadership courses involve, their history and evolution, and how they prepare soldiers for the demanding responsibilities of leading their comrades.
Context illuminates purpose.
"The UK military introduced the comprehensive Command, Leadership and Management (CLM) programme of courses across the Services in 2004/2005. These are designed to prepare individuals for promotion to the next rank by giving them the attitude, skills and knowledge they will require."
Course definition:
Junior leadership fits within broader development:
| Level | Rank Preparation | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Initial training | Basic soldiering |
| Level 2 | JNCO (Lance Corporal/Corporal) | Junior leadership |
| Level 3 | SNCO (Sergeant) | Senior NCO development |
| Level 4 | WO (Warrant Officer) | Senior leadership |
"Junior Leaders was the name given to some Boys' Service training Regiments of the British Army that took entrants from the age of 15 who would eventually move on to join adult units."
Historical evolution:
Specific competencies receive attention.
What junior leaders do:
JNCO responsibilities:
Core skills developed:
Competency areas:
Moving from led to leader:
Transition elements:
What participants experience.
Fieldcraft and operational skills:
Tactical elements:
Applied leadership opportunities:
Practice methods:
Theoretical foundation:
Instructional topics:
"All forms of active pursuits were encouraged and included canoeing, sailing, rock climbing, map reading, cooking in the field and survival in arduous conditions."
Physical elements:
Different contexts require adapted training.
The British Army's approach:
British Army elements:
"Junior Army officers undertake the Junior Officer Leadership Programme (JOLP) and the Junior Officer Tactical Awareness Course (JOTAC); which together form the Junior Officers Leadership and Management Programme (JOLMP)."
Officer comparison:
| Programme | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| JOTAC | 4 weeks | Tactical awareness |
| JOLP | Varies | Leadership development |
| Combined (JOLMP) | Multiple phases | Complete junior officer development |
"The current Junior Leadership Cadre is used for training Gurkha soldiers to become Lance Corporals."
Gurkha specifics:
"The British Military Advisory Training Team runs the Junior Command and Leadership Course."
International elements:
Understanding the legacy.
"Junior Leaders' Regiments began in the mid-1950s, growing from the earlier system of 'Boy Service', and continued into the 1990s. Their aim was to produce and train the future Non-commissioned officers for their Regiment or Corps."
System characteristics:
What Junior Leaders experienced:
Training elements:
"Junior Leaders also attended military and civilian Outward Bound courses in the UK and abroad."
Adventure training:
Many senior leaders emerged from this system:
Lasting effects:
The modern equivalent.
"Today, the British Army recruits junior soldiers to the Army Foundation College, where they are given basic and specialist training, but they are not deployed on adult service until reaching legal age."
AFC characteristics:
Junior soldiers progress toward leadership:
Development pathway:
Insights from military leadership development.
"Special emphasis was given to leadership, important for future SNCOs."
Development principles:
Practical application matters:
Experiential learning:
Senior NCOs develop juniors:
Mentorship elements:
Preparation and performance factors.
Preparation elements:
Success contributors:
Training must transfer to units:
Application practices:
A Junior Leadership Course (JLC) is military training that prepares soldiers for their first leadership roles as Junior Non-Commissioned Officers. It develops command, leadership, and management skills within the broader CLM framework, giving participants the attitude, knowledge, and competencies required for effective performance at the next rank level.
Junior Leadership Course duration varies by service and specific programme. British Army CLM courses typically range from two to four weeks for junior NCO levels. The combination of classroom instruction, field exercises, and practical leadership assessments determines overall length based on training objectives.
Junior Leadership Courses are attended by soldiers identified for promotion to junior NCO ranks (typically Lance Corporal or Corporal). Attendance is normally a prerequisite for promotion, ensuring those assuming leadership responsibilities have received appropriate preparation and demonstrated competence.
JLC (Junior Leadership Course) prepares enlisted soldiers for junior NCO roles, whilst JOTAC (Junior Officer Tactical Awareness Course) prepares junior officers for tactical command. JOTAC is a four-week residential course required for promotion to Captain, focusing on tactical skills rather than basic leadership fundamentals.
Junior Leadership Courses develop command skills (directing personnel), leadership abilities (inspiring and motivating), management competencies (organising resources), communication effectiveness, tactical decision-making, and soldier development capabilities. Physical fitness, resilience, and character development also feature prominently.
In most military services, Junior Leadership Course completion is a mandatory prerequisite for promotion to junior NCO ranks. The course confirms readiness to assume leadership responsibilities and provides the foundational training needed for effective performance as a first-line supervisor of soldiers.
Junior Leaders Regiments were British Army training units operating from the 1950s to 1990s that accepted entrants from age 15, training them for future NCO roles before transfer to adult units at 17.5 years. The system aimed to produce highly capable future Senior NCOs with strong leadership foundations and regimental identity.