Year out in Industry - Help wanted

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

A friend of mine has a son currently in his 2nd year at Uni studying Aerospace Engineering. He is now looking for his year out in industry and has his heart set on doing it with the RAF.

Can any of you guys in here offer some pointers as to where/who he needs to direct his inquiries to. I will be trying to chase it via Lyneham education folks this week but any advice found on here would be gratefully received.

Cheers

[Echo 5]

A friend of mine has a son currently in his 2nd year at Uni studying Aerospace Engineering. He is now looking for his year out in industry and has his heart set on doing it with the RAF.
Can any of you guys in here offer some pointers as to where/who he needs to direct his inquiries to. I will be trying to chase it via Lyneham education folks this week but any advice found on here would be gratefully received.
Cheers
Wilts,
You have PM.
Regards,
E5:)

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

One last try as it's Sunday and there are bound to be lots of v knowledgeable folks in and out of here.

Cheers in advance

[Tiger_mate]

The RAF shy away from this as the individual has to be regarded as a 'member of staff' for insurance purposes and H&S@W. These comments are based upon experience trying to get ATC Cadets work experience for one day.

My advice would come in 3 parts: Firstly logic would have you believe that getting a guy at uni onside can only be a good thing, but the service does not run on logic. Try the RAF CIO who may have come across this before.

Secondly, why not approach one of the many civil contracters working at RAF stations. This may result in the loss of a candidate for the service, but that is life. FBH - SERCO - Shorts - Marshalls of Cambridge etc.

Thirdly, find out who your regional schools liasion officer is. It will be a Sqn Ldr probably retired officer, whose job it is to deal with these sort of things. The Midlands has one based at Cosford but covering a wide area including many RAF Stations. BZN may have your nearest one, or indeed he could be on unit.

It will appear patronsing referring a university student to a schools liasion, but in the RAF all students tend to be treated the same. A few calls to the nearest UAS or UAS HQ at Cranwell may prove fruitfull. The back door , I know a mate will not work on this one these days.

[PPRuNeUser0211]

ABIW, IIRC there was a chap at linton a year or two back doing a similar thing (though it's possible he had already been sponsored, but couldnt say for sure). Might be worth investigating down that line of approach (Especially as linton are famed for their public relations these days;))

[airborne_artist]

The RAF shy away from this as the individual has to be regarded as a 'member of staff' for insurance purposes and H&S@W. These comments are based upon experience trying to get ATC Cadets work experience for one day.


Bolleaux to the latter. 28 and 33 Sqns manage to take 15 y/o work experience trainees every year. My daughter did so last year - she's in the ATC, but it was set up by her school direct with Benson, without the ATC Sqn's input. They had three others there at the same time who had no ATC background. I could find out who set it up at the light blue end if that would help.

[Tiger_mate]

Airborne artist:

I know ABIW personally, and if it was as easy as you suggest, he wouldnt be asking the question, for he has been around long enough to deal with it.

You are referring to 'goodwill' based upon ignorance of the rules. One day a Cadet will get hurt, and when the rule books come out, the vendor of such goodwill will get his butt kicked for a million miles.

I do know the rules, and your daughter is very lucky. I have also been at the wrong end of a board of enquiry due to goodwill, and those days are over.

[VCR]

One day a Cadet will get hurt,

Hasn't that already happened with a certain Wessex about 10 years ago?

[muppetofthenorth]

There's a difference between spending a week's work experience on a base and the Engineering Undergradute Placement Scheme offered by the RAF.

I spent a week on the GEF at Leeming a while back which was sorted out directly with the station, irrespective of my ATC involvement.

The Gap Year idea is totally separate, a friend of mine on my UAS recently returned from a year at Waddington where he was part of a team of undergrads who were all in the same position. He held the rank of APO and was paid a salary as befits that.

He returned to the UAS and his last year of university this year, and when he graduates he'll be on the next IOT.

Apparently it's not been that successful though and may be stopped.

[airborne_artist]

TM - my daughter's (and the other three girls') work exp. was correctly set up by Oxfordshire County Council's Education Dept. work exp. team, in conjunction with her state school, who have a thorough H&S audit before placing any kids at any company/establishment, so I meant what I said; it can be done.
It wasn't a favour set up on the old boy network - I'm ex RN and ex-Army, as it happens.

All I know about the light blue was gained at RAF Leeming in the spring/summer of 1978 ;) and my attendance at 1 PTS in 1982.

[GasFitter]

If you believe 'The Times' article, he could join the Navy as an officer and then get seconded back to industry ... getting the best of both worlds!:ugh:

[BEagle]

Have you thought about approaching the Vulcan to the Sky team at Brutntingthorpe? A whole range of practical aeronautical engineering work - and underpinned by Marshall Aerospace.

[Stuff]

A placement is definately possible.
http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/NR/rdonlyres/12B820AF-6763-4935-93DE-E670EBBC5515/0/02077.pdf
That intranet link will give you the relevant PI on work placements. Take note of the requirements of para 9 and 9a. Suggest you ask the Uni to start official contact with the Civillian Development Worker (it's usually their job to organise these things assuming the Stn you want has one) on the unit you want a placement at to progress things a bit further.

[Echo 5]

Wilts,
Check your PM's please.
Cheers,
E5.

[TMJ]

The scheme your friend's son is after is described at http://www.rafcareers.com/istherafforme/engineers.cfm
half way down.

However, if his year out is next academic year I fear he may be too late to apply; because of OASC and clearance lead times, the application deadline used to be at the end of Dec, though it may have changed in the couple of years since I left the recruiting world. The people with the gen are the Engineer Liaison Team at Cranditz; they are due to be disbanded, but I think they're still going. You can raise them on Cranwell 6491.

[Cpt_Pugwash]

ABIW,

You may have seen this already ...

http://y4.dpa.r.mil.uk/kb/WTD-Applicant-Message.doc_cvt.htm

For those without access to the .r.mil link, the text is...

"Do you know any 2nd year undergraduates seeking work placements for the academic year 2007-08? If so, we may be able to help. 50 week college based sandwich course student placements are currently being advertised with posts available in a number of areas and these include general business administration, IT, finance and engineering disciplines. Successful candidates will be appointed to Band E1 and will start on £13,336 (the minimum of the pay scale). For further information and to apply students should visit www.mod.uk (http://www.mod.uk/), go to the job seekers section and search for reference 328225. The closing date for submitting applications is 09/02/07."


Cheers,
PW

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Many thanks to all those that replied to this request however it now transpires that the young man in question has returned home from Uni unsure if he is going to continue with his studies. Kid's eh:rolleyes:

Thanks again to one and all, cheers Greg although we never did get beyond the PM thing, I will pass on all the info given but ask, for the sake of precious bandwidth that no more replies are posted.

Cheers
Wilts

[JFZ90]

Possible option for trials experience is what was Air Fleet Dept (AFD) of what is now QinetiQ at Boscombe Down. Ask about their student/grad opps. Years ago I had fun getting involved (in a minor "what can we trust to a new graduate" way) working on initial UOR94 TIALD/HMSS/Digimap/GPWS etc. Jaguar mods (that later turned into Jag 96, 97, GR1B?, GR3 etc.) that AFD were involved in. Also got involved with Sea King, Harrier T10, BAC 1-11, Canberra and 748 mods. Great experience for an engineer - not sure whats left of the fleet though these days (is TIARA there now?), but bound to be much more varied experience than an RAF station and many more varied/broad scope engineers (rather than just maintainer related engineers) to interact with.

(Sorry ABIW just read your last post - I won't delete in case any others may be interested..)