Originally Posted by
flying 999
My son was the lucky one to get the job!.....or as it turned out the very unlucky one to have been selected by an unscrupulous organisation.........
He was given very little actual flight training or coaching, and spent most of his time taking other prospective trainees to the helipad watching them take ten minute flight tests at a cost of £290 each! He was also asked to continue signing on for job seekers allowance after starting this job, and was paid just £100 per week when the trainee position is actually advertised at £250 per week!
After one month of watching hundreds of other hopeful trainees paying £290 each, he then questioned Austin Aviation as to why no one else had been appointed, but they offered no explanation. Shortly afterwards he was called in at an hour’s notice to sit an exam, for which he had very little prior coaching, but told not to worry as he could retake it if unsuccessful the first time. He then received an email stating he had failed the exam and was no longer required! No other explanation has been offered and they will not answer any enquiries regarding his position! This is a scam that nets this unscrupulous company an awful lot of money, whilst dashing the hopes of young vulnerable people. My advice to everyone is to not get taken in by this scam as there is no dream job at the end of a very short interview which will cost you £290 for the privilege!
Have you contacted the journalist who interviewed your son for the Express & Star article? Unfortunately, the online edition of the article (see the link above) doesn't include a byline.
However, the email for the News Desk is
[email protected] and the email for the editor (Keith Harrison) is
[email protected]
I also think that it would be worth contacting a national newspaper and BBC Watchdog:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/contact