Qantas Cadetship
 

Hi all,

just wondering what happened to QF's cadet scheme? Hearing that they might ramp it up again soon. Any truth to that? Also was wondering if anybody would be still interested joining given the fact that there are still plenty of cadets out there waiting for years and being told NO GO!

Cheers

And some cadets now being taken as A330 SO's...

Sounds like some had a multiple year interview in Link and unfortunately they didn't realise this until they went for their interviews at Mainline,

Still would be a very good option for some people, getting to the top of the queue but isn't just for those who want to buy their way into a job, fortunately for those who haven't gone that way, it still needs to be earned.

Looking at your main question, I get the feeling you're hearing stuff that might not be entirely correct.

I'm not saying my info is 100%, but FWIW:

When the recruitment stopped at the end of 2008, there were around 70'ish (IIRC) Qantas cadets let go, for want of a better term. There were also a number of pilots at places like Qlink with 'Letters Of Intent'.

When Qantas announced their intention to recruit this year, the Cadets and LOI holders were contacted. If they were still interested in joining they were told that they had to go through the psych/sim/interview process again.

Of those that did, some (at least ten to my knowledge) were unsuccessful. The rest are being given start dates as courses become available.

Is that fair? Not for me to say. However, I'd be thinking that Qantas might have the (not unreasonable) opinion that people and their abilities MAY have changed in eight years.

Are Qantas starting the Cadetship again?

No idea.

Will pilots be interested in investing all that time and money, given the proven uncertainty of such a scheme?

Is the pope a Catholic?


DIVOSH!

One would hope that in eight years, the prospective cadets would have progressed in the industry far beyond the need or want for a cadetship........

Not necessarily. The guys and girls at the Link were FO's, Captains, and some were trainers.

But that's kind of the end of your career progression at Qlink. Some of these guys aren't thirty yet. Having said that, some decided to stay.

DIVOSH!

From my experience 'progression' in aviation in this country is more driven by luck and circumstance than your actual ability. Being a 'QANTAS Cadet' may also be a negative for some employers.

Recruitment is to the 330 due, in part, to the changes to the Qantas Long Haul EA. Under the new EA, recruitment is to the 787 as SO and SOs will now be able to bid to other SO positions. This SO to SO movement was generally not available previously through the regular bidding process.

As there is are 787s at the moment to recruit to, recruitment will be to the 330. If there are subsequent vacancies in SO category on A380 or 747, 330 SOs will be able to bid for those vacancies.

Nothing official. I reckon the first external applicants (ie after the former cadets and LOI holders) will be starting courses April/ May next year.

Odd but he/she has an extra r...maybe they're pirates...arrrrr....i should do stand up

First externals start in October

Given the contract, you'd rather be on the 330 than the 787 as a S/O.

Highly unlikely QANTAS would ever accept DEFO. Still, there's a distinct possibility a new hire S/O could be looking at a VERY short time to F/O 737 if they were willing to accept the first available base from the list of PER, ADL, SYD, MEL or BNE. Very few S/Os on four-engine types in SYD, MEL or BNE are willing to bid to 737 in either PER or ADL.

... October next year?:p

Qantas did take guy/girls who were never SOs following the collapse of Ansett

Really? I didn't think there were any externals interviewed recently- unless you're talking the LOI holders from '08?

The website still doesn't show open for external applications.

They did, but only on a contract through Forstaff and for a very limited time. All those pilots were required to go through the standard selection process and start as S/O's if they wanted to stay in mainline.