Help for an Apprentice

[Aerosexual]

Hi guys, have a friend of mine here in Oz who has applied for a position in BA for a apprentiship. He is new to the industry and as most of you guys online are from that neck of the wood I was just woundering if you could throw some light on the apprentiship's in England. What is good to know and what to look out for?? Thanks a bunch.

[HeliEng]

B.A are excellent, I did not get an apprenticeship with them, due to my un-aided eye-sight, which was a great shame! I got through to, what I was told was the last 8 for 6 places!!!!
With British Airways, as long as you can carry yourself well, and pass their easy-peasy tech exams I don't think you will have any trouble.

As far as other companies go,

CabAir are O.K, but pay is not too hot.

Monarch seem to have the most miserable bunch of Apprentices I have ever seen.

The Engineering Training Manager at Virgin is a pre-historic dinosaur and renowned in aviation training for being that way. He is very much of the old skool who think that women should not be engineers (His loss not mine!!)

Jersey European (Now British European) seem like avery well balanced company, with employees interests at heart.

I went the small company route, and ended up with a VERY good company where I was the only apprentice. They gave me good training, and all the support I needed.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR APPLICATION AND I HOPE YOU HAVE EVERY SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE!

[reboot]

BA dont call it an apprenticeship any more its now a Professional Engineer Program. You progress through it in 2 ways one is you come out with a full JAR66 lisense and go work the aircraft, the other is you go do a degree and go into the support side of things. It is meant to be a very good system and would set you up very well to work in BA or to go other places. The degree route is meant to be a higher level but would have the downside that you wouldnt know much about aircraft (as in how you fix them), but would be better for the more promotion minded people, if you want to work aircraft then take the lisense, you would always be in demand then. Look on the BA web site they have lots of info there

[Sid and Coke]

I fully concur with all of the above, the appo's at FLS seemed to be quite happy with their lot last time I was there.One thing though, why anybody would want to leave a Tropical Paradise to work over here is beyond me.

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With Ice Please

[Aerosexual]

Thanks heaps guys, and girls, for your info, I shall pass it on to my friend. As for wanting to the land of oz, well the industry is very small down here, and well unless you are in the "boys Club" well then you can forget about going to far with the two major airlines in oz. But anyway. Thanks for your help.

[trapper]

BA!!! Are you sure you want to work there??Eng/af working avionics, avionics sorting out the consequential problems (at last minute), technicians signing off work with minimal training and roller stamped PER books. No career structure for engineers (if you want to be a manager why not start as one). Its not all bad but take your time to look around. Training is normally quite good though, could do that bit then go elsewhere as many do. If you need more info, just ask.

[Aerosexual]

Trapper, the info was for a friend, but considering the training you get in Oz, QF aside, BA looks like the garden of eden.