Shortage of Maintenance Technicians
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Shortage of Maintenance Technicians
This from Today's Torygraph:
The RAF is missing hundreds of technicians for aircraft maintenance, according to new figures that heighten concern manning shortages now threaten air safety.
One-in-nine RAF aircraft tradesmen posts are empty the new statistics disclose, just weeks after an air safety watchdog warned defence cuts and adangerous shortage of engineers are increasing the chances of military air accidents.
The RAF is missing 411 tradesmen for aircraft maintenance the Ministryof Defence admitted, leaving it 12 per cent short of the vital technicians.
The gap was last night described as “shocking” and former officers warned the shortages could undermine routine maintenance work as overstretched mechanics prioritise work to keep operations underway.
A lack of qualified technical personnel is“restricting progress at every level” and is a “strategic risk” for air safety the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) warned last month in its annual report.
Air Marshal Richard Garwood, director general, said while the shortages continued, safety was being harmed by unfinished work, poor supervision and falling standards.
The latest figures disclosed by Anna Soubry,defence minister, in response to a Parliamentary question show the shortages are getting worse. The gap was only five per cent in 2011.
Some air bases are now nearly short of a quarter of their technicians.RAF Lossiemouth should have 252 tradesmen, but has 59 posts unfilled and RAF Benson should have 295, but has 68 vacancies.
Angus Robertson MP, said: “These figures are shocking. The recent MAA annual report said there were ‘chronic shortages’ and that safety is being undermined .
“It is bad enough that Westminster is making huge cuts in the numbers of these posts – leading to the position that shortages are at an historic all time high.
"It would be hoped that even with the savage defence cuts the MoD would at least retain a bare minimum of staff – but now more than one in ten posts are unfilled.”
RAF chiefs blames shortages on defence cuts, but they are also struggling to keep highly qualified engineers and technicians from being headhunted for highly paid jobs in industry.
An RAF spokeswoman said: “These figures represent a brief snapshot during which new aircraft entered service, fleets increased in size with posts being created ahead of needing to be filled and while we reduced our overall number of RAF personnel.
"It is inevitable this would temporarily affect our overall figures but we still have all the people we need to carry out all operational taskings safety.”
If this is accurate, it could lead to a slow spiral downward with increasing numbers, across the board - from maintenance to aircrew - seeking better paid employment with more attractive terms of engagement.
Mister B
The RAF is missing hundreds of technicians for aircraft maintenance, according to new figures that heighten concern manning shortages now threaten air safety.
One-in-nine RAF aircraft tradesmen posts are empty the new statistics disclose, just weeks after an air safety watchdog warned defence cuts and adangerous shortage of engineers are increasing the chances of military air accidents.
The RAF is missing 411 tradesmen for aircraft maintenance the Ministryof Defence admitted, leaving it 12 per cent short of the vital technicians.
The gap was last night described as “shocking” and former officers warned the shortages could undermine routine maintenance work as overstretched mechanics prioritise work to keep operations underway.
A lack of qualified technical personnel is“restricting progress at every level” and is a “strategic risk” for air safety the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) warned last month in its annual report.
Air Marshal Richard Garwood, director general, said while the shortages continued, safety was being harmed by unfinished work, poor supervision and falling standards.
The latest figures disclosed by Anna Soubry,defence minister, in response to a Parliamentary question show the shortages are getting worse. The gap was only five per cent in 2011.
Some air bases are now nearly short of a quarter of their technicians.RAF Lossiemouth should have 252 tradesmen, but has 59 posts unfilled and RAF Benson should have 295, but has 68 vacancies.
Angus Robertson MP, said: “These figures are shocking. The recent MAA annual report said there were ‘chronic shortages’ and that safety is being undermined .
“It is bad enough that Westminster is making huge cuts in the numbers of these posts – leading to the position that shortages are at an historic all time high.
"It would be hoped that even with the savage defence cuts the MoD would at least retain a bare minimum of staff – but now more than one in ten posts are unfilled.”
RAF chiefs blames shortages on defence cuts, but they are also struggling to keep highly qualified engineers and technicians from being headhunted for highly paid jobs in industry.
An RAF spokeswoman said: “These figures represent a brief snapshot during which new aircraft entered service, fleets increased in size with posts being created ahead of needing to be filled and while we reduced our overall number of RAF personnel.
"It is inevitable this would temporarily affect our overall figures but we still have all the people we need to carry out all operational taskings safety.”
If this is accurate, it could lead to a slow spiral downward with increasing numbers, across the board - from maintenance to aircrew - seeking better paid employment with more attractive terms of engagement.
Mister B
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Ahh the self feeding maelstrom, you treat them like dirt, cut their pay differential to the level of burger flippers and treat them accordingly by heaping more and more work upon them, in turn fed up with being treated as such they then leave for a better paid job on the outside, that leaves less staff to cover the jobs and tasking that still remain which puts even more stress and workload on the staffing still struggling to keep their heads above water, more folks give up upon hearing of the advantages of working outside from mates who had left and join the exodus, this then puts further strain on the remaining engineers as the system creaks and strains and attempts plaster over the ever growing cracks.... and so it goes on until the house of cards comes tumbling down, a downward spiral that is very difficult to reverse without incentives to stop them leaving and a proper rectification of the situation.
And in amongst all of this I bet they are still required to do the likes of Gate guards, Swo's working party or a hundred other menial and self defeating tasks.
..
And in amongst all of this I bet they are still required to do the likes of Gate guards, Swo's working party or a hundred other menial and self defeating tasks.
..
Last edited by NutLoose; 19th May 2014 at 11:57.
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It's been coming for a while.
I applied for and got redundancy in Tranche 1, after 23 years i'd had more than enough of being treat like crap.
I had an interview with some 'Whitehall' persons (in 2008/9 i think) who wanted to know what attitudes, thoughts on the future, etc were.
I said at the time that alot of people were waiting to jump as they can see no future in the RAF as a Techie - It doesn't paint a good picture when the junior ranks are in the lower pay band and those in the higher pay band are paid the same as an Admin Clerk, chef or Driver. Money isn't everything but if you want to recruit and retain people it helps to be fairly paid.
Before we get the usual arguments about money - going from the big multi-national Oil/Gas Coampany i work for Engineers get paid well, HR pesonnel get mid £20,000 for an HR Administrator, Drivers, chefs, and store people are on a per with the HR folks. Incidentally the bunch i work for recently had a job opening in HR for an HR Adviser post - an RAF HR person (who was due to leave)applied and expected 'around £40,000' a year for a job that paid £27,000 maximum and started at about £19,000. They didn't even get an interview even though they were well qualified for the job, the company didn't even see the point of interviewing them.
I joined up in 88 and they did this all back in early 89 / 90 and we ended up understaffed in certain trades ''we'll not do this again, we will learn from our mistakes'' said the Airships at the time. Not only did they not learn from their mistakes they've made things worse.
It used to be you waited till your 22 year point and take the pension and run... not now, there are guys and gals doing 5-6 years and leaving because they can get better pay and conditions outside that outweigh the benefits of serving for 22 years and the pension.
Once we pull out of afghan chances are there's going to be more redundancy's and cut backs, they'll probably just chop a squadron or 2 and the manpower numbers will be right!
My son wanted to join up like me and i talked to him about it and he changed his mind, neither of us could see a future for him as an engineer in the RAF, i didn't like doing it but unfortunately it's the way it's is. If he wants to be an engineer there's alot better options out there than the RAF now.
If serving or ex-serving personnel aren't encouraging their own kids to join you know things are messed up.
I applied for and got redundancy in Tranche 1, after 23 years i'd had more than enough of being treat like crap.
I had an interview with some 'Whitehall' persons (in 2008/9 i think) who wanted to know what attitudes, thoughts on the future, etc were.
I said at the time that alot of people were waiting to jump as they can see no future in the RAF as a Techie - It doesn't paint a good picture when the junior ranks are in the lower pay band and those in the higher pay band are paid the same as an Admin Clerk, chef or Driver. Money isn't everything but if you want to recruit and retain people it helps to be fairly paid.
Before we get the usual arguments about money - going from the big multi-national Oil/Gas Coampany i work for Engineers get paid well, HR pesonnel get mid £20,000 for an HR Administrator, Drivers, chefs, and store people are on a per with the HR folks. Incidentally the bunch i work for recently had a job opening in HR for an HR Adviser post - an RAF HR person (who was due to leave)applied and expected 'around £40,000' a year for a job that paid £27,000 maximum and started at about £19,000. They didn't even get an interview even though they were well qualified for the job, the company didn't even see the point of interviewing them.
I joined up in 88 and they did this all back in early 89 / 90 and we ended up understaffed in certain trades ''we'll not do this again, we will learn from our mistakes'' said the Airships at the time. Not only did they not learn from their mistakes they've made things worse.
It used to be you waited till your 22 year point and take the pension and run... not now, there are guys and gals doing 5-6 years and leaving because they can get better pay and conditions outside that outweigh the benefits of serving for 22 years and the pension.
Once we pull out of afghan chances are there's going to be more redundancy's and cut backs, they'll probably just chop a squadron or 2 and the manpower numbers will be right!
My son wanted to join up like me and i talked to him about it and he changed his mind, neither of us could see a future for him as an engineer in the RAF, i didn't like doing it but unfortunately it's the way it's is. If he wants to be an engineer there's alot better options out there than the RAF now.
If serving or ex-serving personnel aren't encouraging their own kids to join you know things are messed up.
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I'd be interested to see these figures in context ie gaps over the years. I think I saw 100% manning once and that was only to Flight level. I can't remember ever working on a Sqn or a Wg that was close to fully manned.
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Nutloose.... Some sound comments there. You could say the same also applies to the majority of the Flying Training system as well! Rats and sinking ships.... I'm just saying.
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The biggest problem is how the airships see the manning levels.
Recently I've seen a sqn overborne with SAC's but desperately short on qualified NCO's. I don't think the airships see the difference in who can do what (and thats legally too!), they just see the total amount of manpower and say no problem.
Recently I've seen a sqn overborne with SAC's but desperately short on qualified NCO's. I don't think the airships see the difference in who can do what (and thats legally too!), they just see the total amount of manpower and say no problem.
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From what I understand, this isn't a problem confined to the light blue. I understand the RN is having equally challenging problems with technical senior rates. I also gather from reliable sources many other branches and ranks/rates are seeing an outflow way above what the 'sustainable model' is predicated on.
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And in amongst all of this I bet they are still required to do the likes of Gate guards, Swo's working party or a hundred other menial and self defeating tasks.
Just getting back to basics, when I joined as an apprentice Aircraft Fitter Airframe in January 69, I understood the deal was, do well in training, we will give you a career pattern. Meet the targets and your career will progress to a point where you can eventually retire at a good rank level, with a decent pension and the thanks of a grateful nation for your service. I never got to experience the back end of that promise due to a medical discharge before reaching age 55. I have many friends in the "techie" world who dream of finding a good offer from civilian industry, they can see how modern policy tends to denigrate the career serviceman, on the basis of cost to the treasury coffers. It's all well and good knowing the cost of everything but the value of nothing. And let's face it, there's little sign of loyalty to the modern serviceman from our government. Like many other parts of "public service" (I always remember the notebooks at Halton had "supplied for the public service" stamped in them) it seems that austerity is the only answer to maintain spending on Foreign Aid and EU subs. The last century showed the peril of leaving Britain short of capability, and ended in war, lets hope that those who would do our country harm don't try to take advantage at this time. I really don't need to see footage of ritual slaughter of British people, on our streets, taken from an advanced autonomous drone, whose video might be used in the resulting court case.
I'm biased to hell blokes, but to lose all of the trained capability in this way seems a bit bloody stupid.
Smudge
I'm biased to hell blokes, but to lose all of the trained capability in this way seems a bit bloody stupid.
Smudge
The RAF is not short of technicians- it is short of technicians doing a technicians job i.e working on aeroplanes. Too many in non-jobs like lean/ci/eng records/instructing etc... etc...
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Question to the regulator. How many unit risk registers have manpower and experience dilution listed under RtL at medium or above?
Not many? Here's a clue. You don't get promoted these days by complaining about your manpower balance against your task.
Not many? Here's a clue. You don't get promoted these days by complaining about your manpower balance against your task.
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A Royal Air Force aircraft technician in the rank of corporal could be licenced and type rated within 18 months of leaving. He might then expect to earn in excess of £30,000 basic - which seems to be roughly what they'd make in service. The difference comes with shift pay and overtime that, while unpaid in the RAF, could take him/her to around £50,000 a year, working less hours than they do in the service. You take a chance . . .
"A Royal Air Force aircraft technician in the rank of corporal could be licenced and type rated within 18 months of leaving."...but only if they do 2 years of hard work while they're still in the mob.
Even so, service leavers don't even need to do that. There is work in many other fields waiting for someone with mech/elect maintenance experience and a strong work ethic to fill them - and all with a less demanding Boss.
The Myth about too many RAF techies in "support posts" is dwarfed by the amount of techies "not in Front Line service" - but still in essential positions (for the RAF) - unless of course you allocate those responsibilities to those overpaid Clerks or other techies such as MT or GEF (is there any of those left?) and creating another shortage there...
The truth is that, since the start of this 'accidental' over-reduction of maintenance personnel, there are just not enough techies for current tasking (that has not reduced in the same period) and responsibilites (which have increased in the same period).
In the meantime there is an increased risk of more cover-ups of incidents where mis-management of staff through staff shortages is likely to be a causal factor.
Even so, service leavers don't even need to do that. There is work in many other fields waiting for someone with mech/elect maintenance experience and a strong work ethic to fill them - and all with a less demanding Boss.
The Myth about too many RAF techies in "support posts" is dwarfed by the amount of techies "not in Front Line service" - but still in essential positions (for the RAF) - unless of course you allocate those responsibilities to those overpaid Clerks or other techies such as MT or GEF (is there any of those left?) and creating another shortage there...
The truth is that, since the start of this 'accidental' over-reduction of maintenance personnel, there are just not enough techies for current tasking (that has not reduced in the same period) and responsibilites (which have increased in the same period).
In the meantime there is an increased risk of more cover-ups of incidents where mis-management of staff through staff shortages is likely to be a causal factor.
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I am ex TG2 and now regularly go across to Honington to support the maintainers over there. From what I see I would not reccomend anybody to join up as a technician. I used to reccomend that people consider an engineering commision but the more I talk to people who work in that role my mind is changing now.
As others have said it is not only the pay but being paid the same as a clerk or equivelent rank is wholely inappropriate considering the risks. Working on any piece of machinery whether it be an aircraft, vehicle or a FEPS is still considerably more dangerous/hazardous than sitting behind a desk.
As others have said it is not only the pay but being paid the same as a clerk or equivelent rank is wholely inappropriate considering the risks. Working on any piece of machinery whether it be an aircraft, vehicle or a FEPS is still considerably more dangerous/hazardous than sitting behind a desk.
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I think a bigger problem is the increased use of civilians to service front line aircraft. I believe that this is decreasing the experience levels of service technicians. When I passed out from Halton, my first posting was to a MU where I did a few years doing Jaguar majors. When I was posted to a Jag sqn, I had a good knowledge of the big jobs as well as the easier line snags.
Now, most stuff apart from 1st line is done by civvies. Now I'm not moaning too much because I am one of those civvies and to be honest, we are much more efficient than service technicians because we are older, more experienced and we are there all the time. No guard duty/sports afternoons/secondary duties/expeditions/detachments/etc, not to mention the generous amount of leave the serviceman gets compared to the civvy.
The problem is that most of us civvies are not much good in theatre. I currently work on the Army's hovering death machine and all depth work is done by civvies like myself who are in their 50's and above (OK there are some younger guys too but not many under 35). The regiments seem to be staffed by young and inexperienced technicians and as has been mentioned above, a lot of them are leaving to pursue engineering work outside of aviation (power stations, wind turbines, incinerators etc).
I'm not sure what the answer is. Civvies are definitely cheaper but it does leave the front line exposed IMHO.
Now, most stuff apart from 1st line is done by civvies. Now I'm not moaning too much because I am one of those civvies and to be honest, we are much more efficient than service technicians because we are older, more experienced and we are there all the time. No guard duty/sports afternoons/secondary duties/expeditions/detachments/etc, not to mention the generous amount of leave the serviceman gets compared to the civvy.
The problem is that most of us civvies are not much good in theatre. I currently work on the Army's hovering death machine and all depth work is done by civvies like myself who are in their 50's and above (OK there are some younger guys too but not many under 35). The regiments seem to be staffed by young and inexperienced technicians and as has been mentioned above, a lot of them are leaving to pursue engineering work outside of aviation (power stations, wind turbines, incinerators etc).
I'm not sure what the answer is. Civvies are definitely cheaper but it does leave the front line exposed IMHO.
Why is it that being paid the same as others is so wrong? If ac techies were paid more, which would be justified, what about the nurse, or the dental hygienist?
There is a lot of risk carrying out various tasks OOA for all trades including Int, Regt all carry risk.
There is a system, it may not be perfect but by all means pay techies more, but others may well argue their cause is also justified. The shortage in all trades is alarming.
There is a lot of risk carrying out various tasks OOA for all trades including Int, Regt all carry risk.
There is a system, it may not be perfect but by all means pay techies more, but others may well argue their cause is also justified. The shortage in all trades is alarming.
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They binned it OAP and now you get the same flipping burgers in the mess as you do servicing and signing off aircraft.
Service pay was always based on the civilian equivalent, hence why blanket stackers, burger flippers or dental nurses got less... I mean no offence to those jobs, but there is a major difference between the equivalent pay grades in Civi street, a lot has to do with responsibility and on an aircraft that can mean someone's life...
I realise the same can be said for nurses or dental techs, but they are not allowed if I'm right to prescribe drugs, simply administer them, that added responsibility and the larger wage packet is the regime of doctors and dentist...
I agree Regiment guys are at greater risk at the moment, but that does not carry through back into peacetime.
Service pay was always based on the civilian equivalent, hence why blanket stackers, burger flippers or dental nurses got less... I mean no offence to those jobs, but there is a major difference between the equivalent pay grades in Civi street, a lot has to do with responsibility and on an aircraft that can mean someone's life...
I realise the same can be said for nurses or dental techs, but they are not allowed if I'm right to prescribe drugs, simply administer them, that added responsibility and the larger wage packet is the regime of doctors and dentist...
I agree Regiment guys are at greater risk at the moment, but that does not carry through back into peacetime.