AA Statistics:
Jan 2002 - Dec 2009
Trained 973 domestic institutional students, 800 successfully completed, 714 now employed in aviation industry. Approx 440 entered apprenticeships.
Interesting to note that a little over a half entered an apprenticeship. I am dubious over those employed in the aviation industry statistic as how this is measured is anybody's guess.
I got this from my local state member as AA is technically a business run and owned by the Queensland Government.
If I had enough money or clout I would get AA shut down and force students to go the old fashioned route. AA repeatedly made the point that hand skills were not important (!?!?!) as this is what an apprenticeship was all about. Getting the necessary hand skills. What is shows is that AA and industry have a disconnect and that I think AA has become a sausage factory churning out too many students.
The crazy thing is that the GA sector is short of people yet CASA in their wisdom will not offer me an easy path to convert my EASA exams to CASA CAR31 equivalents. Other than doing all the exams. I know there is a maintenance licenses conversion process moving from the old to the new but that is some 4-5 years. For those us trying to find work now, the regulator has made the task just that more complicated.
After all the frustrations I have had this year I am walking away from the industry. I don't have many good things to say about my training provider. The instructors are good (some are great) however the after sales service is worse than a used car salesman. My whole point of using AA was I believed them in saying that the jobs market was buoyant and that good results should lead to a job. All I can say is bulls**t. Employment services have been less than honest, upfront or communicative.
I really wonder what the reason behind Paul Brederick rapid departure from AA was all about?
Cheers