Currently in the UK there is a shortage of aircraft engineers, according to the UK Visa Bureau on their recently updated UK Shortage Occupations List. Reasons for this shortage are varied; one is that there used to be a large number of aircraft engineers coming out of the armed forces. Numbers of people entering the armed forces has, in recent years, increased. However, those leaving has been on the decline. There is also disinterest from those leaving school to follow a career in this field.
Aircraft engineers repair the electrical and mechanical systems of aircraft and maintain instruments and components. They are required to perform pre-flight checks. They also test all of the aircraft’s systems on a routine basis; they must adhere to rigorous safety checks and procedures.
The UK has one of the best air safety track records in the world. This is due, in large part, to having highly skilled aircraft engineers who have been through rigorous training. With experienced engineers retiring all the time and a lack of those entering the profession, this has contributed to the shortage.
In the current economic climate, many aviation organisations have had to cut their budgets back in order to survive, resulting in funds for aircraft engineering apprenticeships being heavily restricted. This has led the aviation industry with a severe lack of qualified engineers. They are more inclined to want to employ an already qualified engineer rather than provide the funding for training them.
In order to address this problem some airlines have sought to get ahead and have come to realise there can be benefits for their company if they do provide this funding. Mainly because they can specify the content of the training tailored to their own requirements, this also leads to those completing the training being more inclined to stay with the company who provided their initial training. The airlines have come to achieve this by setting up apprenticeship programmes. This enables them to fund part of the training along with the training organisation they partner with.
An aircraft engineering apprenticeship usually takes 2-3 years to achieve and in some cases 4. During the first year learning mostly centres on general engineering operations with it gradually becoming more specific. The provider of the apprenticeship can find you a work placement if you do not already have one. Normally you would be working with the organisation, on the job, for four days of the week and attend a learning institution such as a college or polytechnic for one day a week. An advisor from the educational establishment will liaise with your employer to keep them up to date on your progress. You will be paid a wage by the employer whilst undergoing this training. At the end of the apprenticeship you will gain a City and Guilds award, your employer may then decide to sponsor you to take a further learning programme enabling you to gain a qualified status as a Civil Aviation Authority Licensed Engineer.
