QANTAS Engineering Apprenticeship
 

hey guys,
i am applying for the 2008 QANTAS aircraft engineering apprenticeship. I see that it says you need good eyesight, how good must you eyesight be?

Also, has any one experienced this apprenticeship and if so could you shed some light on the lifestyle.

Thanks in advance.

might need to pass a colour test of eyes for ramp driving licence. seen colour vision a requirement for some positions for engineers.

I am told a colour blindness test will be done, hearing also. Life is good but at end of 4 years you have to apply for any possible vacancy, it is not automatic.

You will have to do a colour blindness test,thats for all applicants,but if you are applying for a Mechanical apprenticeship,it will not matter if you colour blind,as it is a requirement for Avionic Engineers to be able to differentiate different coloured wiring,etc.

So unless you wear Coke bottles,and cant see past the end of your nose,you will be ok.It is just a medical requirement thats all.There are plenty of Engineers(and pilots) who wear glasses.It is just a fact of life.

thanks
 

cheers guys. im applying for mechanical... would like to work on engines...

also, i live in perth atm so would i expect to have to go elsewhere for an intervoew. and also would you say that it is worth me going to melbourne and rent using the mere wage you get? PS im only 18 :P

As an apprentice,you can always share a flat with other apprentices or even live in a boarding house.It would only be for a year or so,as your wage gradually gets better over time.Plenty of other apprentices have done it,and today they are reaping the rewards of those few hard years at the start.

don't bother,you are wasting 4 yrs of your life,go do an apprenticeship in the building trade,at Qantas you will be one of the lowest paid tradesmen in the country and there is no career progression any more,HEED MY WARNING:}

I second that. I work with guys that have had 30 years experience on aircraft and their sons work in the building trades earning more money! Also, last time I looked, all wired on a Qantas planes are white....

I think you might be on the grease gun for a bit before getting let near an engine.

But don't worry, you'll eventually make it. :}

Hello I started QF AME Mech apprenticeship in 1999 in Mel, If you live in Perth, it is a big decision to come all the way over here, for the money they will pay you.
The training you get from Qantas is just OK. Its easier and better to do the apprenticeship with an Airline than GA, unless its with a company with a lot of cash i,e crown casino or something like that.
If you really want to go ahead with it you will have to tick the box that says AME not AM.
If you tick the box thats says Aircraft Mechanic instead of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer you have ridden your career off.
Once you start the apprenticeship you will find that the moral of the people will be at rock bottom and will find the place not a real enjoyable to work.
QF these days treat there staff very badly. Once you finish the apprenticeship you then will be able to leave and work overseas or for a company that will pay you and treat you a little better.
The job is good, but rewards are not there as they were back in the good old days, so you have to love the jet.
You will also find your mates that are plumbers and sparkys will be earning a lot more than you, will have less responabilty and not working long hours and night shift which is the future of aviation.
Other airlines are available to work for in australia after you finish your apprenticeship and there is a major shortage of engineers in the world, so there is no shortage of work. The main reason for this is that no one is training, so I have to give to Qantas for at least doing that.
The other option is Emirates in dubai are now doin full apprenticeships and are invite young Aussies to join, that comes with the rewards, if you would like to go O/S but you will be required to live in Dubai.
In my opinion I like working on aircraft but would seriously advise people against starting the QANTAS ENGINERING apprenticeship program.

P.S Don't worry about having bad eyes, it helps to have good eyes but will not stop you from getting a apprenticeship.
And yes they will let you work on engines staight away and you will be required to daily under supervision during apprenticeship.

?
 

hey guys
im 16 i live in ,melbourne and im in yr 10 i am applieing for a qantas mechanical engineer apprenticeship for 2008,
does anone think this is a good idea or a bad idea?
and on the application it has, maintenance stream or overhaul stream ??
wats the difference and wich one is best reccomend i put down?

help would be much appreaciated
thanx

Flava

Head for Maintenance Stream,unless you want to work in a sheltered workshop.Plus I would say go for it,because you will be still young enough to start another career if QF doesn't impress you enough to hang around after four years.

Below is the trade your after,thats unless you want to be better paid,then I would suggest you apply for the Avionics AME apprenticeship.

2. Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Mechanical

Maintains, inspects and undertakes troubleshooting of the following:

• Aircraft Engine Systems
• Aircraft Structures
• Landing Gears, Wheels and Brakes Systems
• Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems
• Flight Control Systems
• Environment Control Systems

Correct bugs, Maintenance stream is (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer),
Overhaul is (Aircraft Mechanic) and you don't want to go there.
To become Licenced engineer in the future it is much easier through the AME stream, QF try's to close doors for AM's from getting ahead.
And yes the future is Avionics if you can get head around it!
Check out the Emirates Web site about what they have to offer. For a 18 year old, it will be an experience, they will look after you financially, but they will give you a run for money and be prepared for major culture shock.

Please read this thread: Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Shortage.
I hate putting of young guys who want to follow there dreams and I personally hate people who tell people they can't achieve something.
But guys I have been there and you need to know the facts before making choices. Try and do work experience first.

how much does a aircraft maintenance engineer get paid?
and is it easy to get a job after the apprenticeship?

james russel what world do you live in,try 35k p/a once your an ame,and then it goes up very slow

Probably come out of your 4 years in QF on 42-52K with all OT and shift, depends where you are placed and so on!

employees perspective
how you said pay rates are fairly low i was wondering if they'd go up from the predicted shortage and if the discounts are worth the work?

no they will not be going up any time soon if ever,they are dumping down the trade world wide,and as for the discounts get a real pay job and you will be able to pay full fair and get on the flights,DO ANOTHER TRADE THAT PAYS WELL:sad:

Why so negative?
 

Employees perspective.

You should be encouraging people to join the trade, then there will be no shortfall in engineers. Stop frightening people off. There is plenty of oppourtunity for people to increase their wages if they want to by getting licenses and the extra money that goes with it.

hosser has a point
 

employees perspective
thanks for the info but i was wondering why most of ur posts are so cynical about the job, judging from ur age i guess you'd have heaps of experience but i cant help but wonder if ur some cranky old man that is against everything? Someone has to keep doing the job, no offense:suspect:

RE: how much does a aircraft maintenance engineer get paid?
 

I too started my apprenticeship at the ripe old age of 15 however things quickly started to crumble around me. First came the relocation of 767 Heavy maintenance to Brisbane then i saw the lives of many of my co-workers crumble with the shut down of 747 Heavy Maintenance. I would urge you to think strongly about your future and the way you would like it to turn out. If you want to be in a secure job, ****** is NOT the place for you to be. You will encounter incompetence right from the very first day you start. Good luck with you future in aviation, i would hope it doesn't include ******

Why is morale so low?
Why are people so cynical?

It does not help when you have the managers telling A.M.E's that they have reached the peak of their career and will not have training.

AME: what are our chances of training within the next 3-6years?
Manager: I am not going to lie to you so, none.

AME: What? Why?
Manager: Basically, we want to change the current ratio of LAMES to AMES so we can be competitive compared to the rest of the market.

1999-2001 there was a whole bunch of training and most of those LAMES trained during that period will not be leaving for another 10-15years.

Basically... If you are happy earning a base wage of between $35,000 and $45,000 for the next 10-15 years then sure, join up.

PSSSST...
Hey young fellas can i give you a piece of valuable advice.
Stop listening to these stale old battery hens that work on boring giant stiff wing thingos and get an apprenticeship working on the most amazingingly beautiful and graceful flying creatures around.:}
Helicopters.
And. If you get a job working with a company that flys for the oil industry you will go home with not only job satisfaction, you'll be paid reasonably/very well (once licensed).
There is such a shortage of good helicopter engineers at the moment.
A good place to start is the military. Lots of young blokes do it that way.
And what an exciting way to do your training!
Good machines, good training, hands on work that involves flying in the machine and flight testing. And being with other young blokes with the same passion for life and flying machines.
I've worked all over the place in choppers and always found it a fascinating and challenging job. I am constantly hands on with the machine and working directly with pilots, ground crew and operations. And i'll say it again. A bit of flying around testing the machine to make sure things are right. That can be so much fun, and at the end of a hard days work so bloody rewarding!!!!
In the right job you will be with a small crew of guys that will be only intersted in one thing, making that chopper fly right and fly safely. No time to sit around on your ass complaining about this and that.
So don't despair. I have worked in the airline industry and found it a bit depressing.
Aircraft are great things to work on.
And i earn as much if not more than the drain cleaning plumbers.
You just need to think outside the box a bit and choose your direction carefully. Just because Qantas is big doesnt mean its the best to work for.
Ok enough said. :ok:

Hear,hear Epic.

I was just thinking something like this along similar lines myself this morning.I would have probably suggested the Navy myself,but I am sure the Army/RAAF is just as good.

And if at the end of your contract you still want to join QANTAS/Virgin/JHAS or whoever is on the scene then,well you will still have qualifications to give you a look in.

Also I would imagine that the wages/salary between the military and the airlines/MROs is about the same for the four years.

Something to consider.If I had my time over,I would strongly consider the military second time round.

Good luck.

Throughout this section there is talk about apprenticeships with the big guys like Qantas, Virgin and Emirates etc, but what do you recon about geting an apprenticeship in GA?
ATM I am finishing off my theory and have an apprenticeship lined up with a GA maintenance shop in Brisy. The instructors that I have spoke to at Tech say that you get good allround experience in Structures and Mechanical work which is the two I am doing and from what I have been exposed to/worked on so far it seems to be rele good experience, however I havent relally been exposed to the big stuf.
What do you guys recon?

Have a passion, plant a seed and watch it grow!
 

Hi guys and girls,

My philosophy is simple: Do what you love and you'll love what you do!

After 23 years, I still love what I'm doing and want to see people join the industry who have the same love and passion for aircraft as I do. From my experience, the guys who complain the loudest about wages, etc are usually the guys who have not got off their backsides and helped themselves.:(

To all those guys and girls who have that passion in their bellies to maintain aircraft, GO FOR IT! Life is what you make it and remember Oil Additives 2nd law of success:

Success is directly proportional to the amount of energy you put into it, and inversely proportional to the amount you expect someone else to put into it.

Have a nice day

:)

Sounds like a QF manager talking! Keep going mate! Sends shivers down my spine!

wtf??
poeple are saying there is a shortage a lames and then some poepl are saying there no jobs for them ??:confused:
i looked on the internet and it said tht ames get paid newhere around 50 - 55 thousand a year on average.
and on the qantas appreticeship application it sais tht you can be prmoted to maintainence supervisors and mangement teams :p

it looks like your own investigations are uncovering some untruths,entry lvl Lame is 53k pa at Qantas and it will take you many years to get their,try at least 10 yrs.

hey, does anyone know what kind of job in the mechanical side of Qantas that a graduate Mechanical engineer would be eligable for??

I'll be studying mechanical engineering next year, and have a love for planes and would like to work for Qantas or any airliner.

Thanks

G'day,

I too have applied for an aircraft maintenance apprenticeship with QANTAS Airways, specifically as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer - Avionics. However, since I wrote them a letter expressing my interset earlier on this year, I have only recieved a letter advising me that they will "contact (me) later on in the year". To date no application form sent to me, :hmm: anybody else in the same boat as me?

Anyway, I'm also going to apply to John Holland Aviation Services (JHAS), who else has applied to JHAS?

Cheers.

Young readers interested in getting into the industry...Forget about apprenticeships with Qantas mainline..Try getting into a regional like REX/Eastern/Sunstate/Alliance/******/RFDS/NJS/Airnorth...Your career will be far more rewarding, you will be trained and you will actually get to work on aircraft.And the money is as good in most cases.
Qantas 737a/f and eng = Heavy $55000 Line $75000
Alliance F100a/f and eng= $70000-80000
For single category LAMEs you will earn more out of Qantas, you will have far more job satisfaction and a greater oppurtunity for employment.
You will not be able to hide when the big jobs come up, slonk off on the same people that carry the old gerries night after night.You will have to swim, and this will make you in most cases a far superior engineer.
Look at prevoc courses run by companies like Australian Aviation, more and more companies a sourcing apprentices from such training facilities.
Forget Qantas you will regret it...:ok:

Avionics Apprenticeships in the West
 

Have a look on Seek. Skywest are after 2 avionics apprentices in Perth. Fleet of Fokker 50 and Fokker 100's a great company to work for!

;)

If your applying for QF melbourne base and want a application form call their training school, get to the heart of problem: (03) 9280 7010

Howdy,

Thanks for your replies James and mavrik, I was wondering why I had heard nothing from QANTAS. QANTAS engineering was so hard to contact, so that phone number for QF MEL Base is greatly appreciated mavrik! :ok:

It's comforting to know other people like yourself James are aspiring Avionics Technicians :D, so best of luck to you as well.

Cheers,

Just a heads up on Qantas. I heard from a "reliable source" that they intend to respond to their current Trade Union difficulties by getting out of Line Maintenance and outsourcing Tech Handling. They've certainly begun issuing termination notices to carriers using their Technical Handling services. If they are indeed getting out of Line Maintenance, that would certainly reduce career opportunities within the company.

apprenticeship
 

blacksheep, first of all i don't know who your reliable source is but as from what i've been told by a fleet maintenance manager QF want to get rid of all customer Line maint. They have no intention of getting rid of there own. this is just used as a leveraging tool against the unions. Although the way the current ACS management think i would not be surprised if they do and they will fail in spectacular style.

For the people applying for QF apprenticeships, i have some advice. I have 2 full mech licences and my next door neighbour who installs windows monday to friday earns double what i do, so don't apply if you want to own houses!! The pay used to be good, but the industry is getting choked. QF are NOT training any lames, so if you don't want to be an ame forever,(45K) then listen to the other smart gents on here and go to a regional or virgin. from my knowledge virgin pay well. If you have a passion for aircraft then do whats in your heart. Thats what i did, however that will wear thin after a while, i know. And while all your friends are at a barbeque on new years eve or xmas day on their own balcony, your girlfriend will be out with her friends and you'll be at work. probably in the rain if you are on line, changing wheels and brakes at 2am. hope you make the right choice.

The applications for apprenticeship within Qantas closed yesterday I believe.

They would like to take on 100+ Australia wide this year. Anyone who applied should hear from them within the next few weeks probably.