UK integrated training

[Nellie]

Has anyone with recent experience of UK integrated training, CTC / Oxford etc, any comments on Airline take up of students at end of course? If you're on one of these courses at present, how do you see your prospects for airline employment, directly from the course? Thank you for any info.

[bucket_and_spade]

At least one of the schools (OAA) has a website which shows recruitment numbers - there is also more background info/explanation/comment/chat in the forums, also available on OAA's website - www.oxfordaviation.net (http://www.oxfordaviation.net). I imagine the others have similar info available/hinted at elsewhere.

OAA-specific - an increasing numbers of students are being "tagged" by an employer (e.g. NetJets) before starting the course, meaning the number of self-sponsored students is decreasing (though they still make up the majority, at least for the minute).

B&S

P.S. You'll note that the poster asked a specific question - I wonder how many Prooners with personal agendas/opinions on training options will wade in, wasting bandwidth and time, with irrelevant answers to a question not asked :ugh:

sqwkvfr - head, nail, hit!

[charliejulietthotel]

Hi Nellie, I finished OAT in November 06, so I guess not as current as you were hoping, but on my experience of my course, very few walked straight in jobs, one had a job before the course finished but had to wait a few months for a starting date, others had to wait a while for interviews to come along, then 3 airlines offered interviews within the space of a week for a friend! Oxford helped a lot with the job interviews, whether it was interview preparation, or putting you forward to airlines for consideration, but they can't get you the job, it's up to you in the interview. I did have interviews, and i cocked them up, so i went down the instructing route and within a year was lucky enough to get a job in scotland, im the only one from my course on turbo props but to me it makes no difference, i love my job, and i can instruct when i want which is by far more fun than airline flying! however there are still a couple who haven't got airline employment yet. unfortunately employment is luck, right place right time sort of thing, if you think the training is hard work, wait until the job hunting starts, then the hard work starts! I finished when the market was still quite buoyant, i have the utmost respect for the guys finishing now/soon, just hope things change for the better soon, good luck with it all.
CJH

[Kerosine]

P.S. You'll note that the poster asked a specific question - I wonder how many Prooners with personal agendas/opinions on training options will wade in, wasting bandwidth and time, with irrelevant answers to a question not asked :ugh:



Have you not considered Modular Nellie? You'll save yourself so much money for the exact same thing. :}

Woah horsie only kidding... :p

Seriously though, CTC have very good employment figures to data (100%), however at the moment there is a 'holding pool' of recently qualified pilots waiting for employment. This is decreasing, just at a slower rate than previous years due to airlines tightening up.

The prospects for any new fATPL are not great right now with impending recession, however all integrated FTOs offer similar prospects upon completion of the course. CTC are ahead of the pack in the fact they actively place you in airline employment (some, according to CTC, do not even require interviews!) and therefore have very high employment rates to date.

Note I have not completed the course and cannot offer 1st hand advice, this is mearly some of the information I have gathered over the last few months.

[Nellie]

Thanks all for taking the time to reply. very useful info.

[Day_Dreamer]

CTC
Dont believe their hype
The current market will be difficult enough to predict employer / cadet employment satistics, let alone take CTC graduates unless you want to be sent to China or other far flung places.
There are guys and girls already in the holding pool who have been swimming in circles for months not to mention those taking their first dip in the pool after completing their course.
I know of people in holding pools who have been swimming for several months one at least for over a year.
100% placement is now a thing of the past, just look at the last employer to stop cadet hiring (Ryanair) this is indicative of the near future and holding pools will get full quickly.
OAA, FTE, and Cabair will try their best to place students but if there are no jobs then it will take a couple of years to see an upturn.

Taking about 2 years from selection to completion this might be a good thing for new integrated students.
But I ask will the finance be available from the usual sources, and if so upon what terms ?

If you had asked this question six months ago I would have said the market for jobs was good but on a down turn. A year earlier it was very good for all fATPL holders.

If you have a strong motivation to fly professionally and can raise the monies required then go on the course and in two years the market may well be more buoyant.