WARNING to all wannabe Pilots and Engineers

[Epsomdog]

Our company was recently trying to employ a number of B1 or possibly A rated engineers. The jobs were at LHR and would entail getting an airside ID. this means being able to account for your whereabouts for the last 5 years. One applicant, A rated with only a few modules to complete, would have been ideal for our requirements but could not satisfy the ID centre requirements.
This guy had taken time out, doing the Asia/Australia gap year thing. I'm sure it was great fun and valuable life experience, however it made him almost un-employable in an airside role.

LHR ID centre are very pedantic when it comes to interpreting the regulations, this meant he had to make over 50 applications for an ID. This also meant writing to every single employer he'd had in the last 5 years, including all the casual employers in Asia and Australia and getting them to reply with a properly worded reference statement, to satisfy the ID centre. Some of those employers did not speak English, so you can appreciate how difficult this was!

I suggest before any of you youngsters take off on you're gap years, you all think very carefully about accounting for you're time. Maybe it would be a good idea to collect the references as you go.

[spannersatcx]

Try getting one in Ireland, they want them all the way back from 18 years old, that's a long time for some of us!

[Epsomdog]

Even references as you go aren't usually ok as most ID centres would want a reply to a specific request, usually from a company registered email etc.
There are legit ways around it that a helpful ID centre should of made available.
Good point. Maybe all you can do then is make sure you have good contact info for you're employers and tell them to expect a reference request. Either that, or stay at home.
This idea of a helpful ID centre? Not sure I know what one of those is, especially at Heathrow!

[Private jet]

I dislike scfi with a passion but it's the best analogy I can come up with. Employers now want a "clone army". Anyone that is an "individual", is in their eyes a potential troublemaker. 2018? welcome to 1984 everyone

[Epsomdog]

I dislike scfi with a passion but it's the best analogy I can come up with. Employers now want a "clone army". Anyone that is an "individual", is in their eyes a potential troublemaker. 2018? welcome to 1984 everyone
Not sure I follow any of you're reasoning here...

Its not employers that require the security checks to be carried out. Airside ID's are normally issued by the airfield operator, in accordance with government regulations. No employer is likely to take you on if you can't get an airside ID.