I have been a participant in one way or another with the development process of these training packages for a very long time now. The latest rewrite sorts out a lot of administrative bumpf and aligns the whole lot with CASA manual of standards.
In simple terms the idea is that you will get a nationally recognized academic qualification for study and achievement for you aviation-based qualifications. As a commercial pilot you may be accredited a diploma in aviation, the content of which can be recognised towards other study - for example if you want to do more private study and convert it to a degree. These paper qualifications will be immediately recognised if you move into another industry such as maritime which has similar standards. The package covers heaps of vocations within the industry, not just aircrew and is meant to make your academic qualifications more standardised and transportable.
However, as Niles pointed out....the reality for us pilots is that employer companies need only a License level qualification for their employees to satisfy CASA requirements, and are not interested in more academics in general. The Unis obviously want to fill up more academic content in their aviation courses to (1) have longer courses, more business - minimum degree is 3 years, and especially (2) attract foreign students, because our government will not provide provided sponsored study visas for much less than degree level. So the unis fought to pump up the theory content for the award of a degree. In the end they lost out as no one was prepared to pay for unnecessary bumpf, and a diploma level was made against the existing commercial license. Employers were only interested in keeping their pilots licensed without additional costs. The ADF and CASA aligned their 'competency wordings' more closely so ADF pilots competencies could map directly to the CASA standards and so more easily gain accreditations.
So not much has really changed. CASA, the ADF and flying training organizations seem generally satisfied. Future licence holders should receive a bit of paper with their training that can be framed on the wall over the bar, and of course the package contractors received a sizable government payout. For those hoping to waltz down to RAAF HQ with ATPL/diploma in hand and ask for an F111 job or straight into a PC9, ...sorry...there is no requirement for any employer to accept your credentials (as for any job), and every employer can of course stipulate their own/additional standards ....UNLIKE a university or other registered training organisation (RTO) which will accept your bit of paper in your desire for greater academia. Similary the ADF IRT standard is still not recognised because it does not operate under the CAA, but the Defence Act (unless your IRE is also an ATO)!
Last edited by Roller Merlin; 23rd Jun 2008 at 23:26.