avionics apprenticeship with qantas

[trounce]

Hello good people of the interwebs,
I am through to nearly the end of the current round of apprenticeship recruitment at Qantas, but I have some questions about the place and the apprenticeship generally that just would not be politic to ask in a formal environment... mainly, are they likely to stuff me around? If I did get a place, what are the chances that they will lay me off before I get trade qualified?
Not that I don't trust them, specifically, because at the moment I don't trust any company to do the right thing by their apprentices.
Also I'd like to hear about people's experiences who've done an apprenticeship with them, the good parts and the bad.
I must admit, avionics was not my first choice, I really had my heart set on doing instrumentation & control, but pretty much noone is taking on apprentices in that field at the moment. And I'm so close to getting offered this apprenticeship that I don't want to turn it down just because I don't know much about the area or the company.
Any and all information, anecdotes, opinions and sarcastic remarks much appreciated...

[rmm]

I can't really help you with your question, but reading this link may help.

http://www.pprune.org/engineers-technicians/296329-qantas-engineering-apprenticeship.html

[trounce]

Thanks rmm!
I went to the group assessment/info session last week and it was all very optimistic (as it would be, of course), promised that yes there would definitely be jobs at the end of the apprenticeship, lots of opportunity for career progression, etc etc. And I have dug out a copy of the '05-'08 CA so I finally have some pay and conditions info to go on. Good adult apprentice wages, but from there on it's all a bit ordinary, especially for shift work. Not the quite the stuff to support a family and pay a mortgage in Australia's least liveable city. And from the info in that thread you posted is still correct, that there is no GA component anymore, big planes only, then that is a serious dent in my plan to move back to the sticks.
Ho hum, back to the drawing board :(

[ernie blackhander]

If you want a job go qantas, if you want a life go ga. big is boring, too many rules, getting in trouble for sweeping the floor because you might put jimbo over ther out of a job, ect ect. stick with avionics, sorry to correct you but instruments come under avionics, just buy the australian on friday and look at all the conehead jobs you can hope for one day, compared to mechanical. or go choppa, plenty of good paying jobs there.