Originally Posted by
Krystal n chips
Really ?...the R.A.F Apprenticeship scheme was recognised as being one of the best in the UK for the depth and quality of the engineers it produced over the years.
By whom? Like all self-proclaimed acclimations the problem is that if you say it often enough it becomes received wisdom and hides the truth. In terms of the integrity of what was taught and the product it delivered the old apprenticeship scheme had much merit. It was blindly obvious however that by the 90s that the scheme was no longer fit for purpose. The training performance standard far exceeded the operational performance standard required by units. The syllabi of the courses was replete with outdated technologies and a "deliver all to everyone" philosophy which saw propulsion and airframe technicians sit through endless hours of piston engine or rotary aircraft theory irrespective of their future career paths. Nor does that RAF operate in isolation. The civilian market was moving towards a revised apprenticeship model, offering a shorter path to qualified status and associated pay benefits. The old apprenticeship was definitely showing its age, it was simply not attractive to potential recruits, was too long and too costly.