Higher Apprenticeship widens access for new generation of airline pilots
Launched today at the Flyer Professional Flight Training Exhibition on Saturday 20 April 2013 at the Sofitel Hotel, T5, Heathrow Airport - the Level 6 Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice (HAPAPP) has been led by the Aviation Skills Partnership (ASP) with Semta and People 1st working with professional bodies such as the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN), the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) and the General Aviation Awareness Council (GAAC) in close collaboration with the airlines and the integrated course flight training organisations in England (CAE/Oxford Aviation Academy, CTC and Flying Time Aviation) who will deliver the technical elements.
Three versions of the scheme have been developed to meet the needs of the industry as well those of independent students, and the formal launch means that detailed plans can now be finalised for the first enrolments which could be as early as July this year.
The development work for the Apprenticeship was supported by the National Apprenticeships Service (NAS) through Round 2 of the Higher Apprenticeships Fund.
With the practical elements of the course delivered by the airlines and flight training organisations, and exacting learning integrated with detailed theoretical studies in the work place, HAPAPP Apprentices will graduate with a BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Pilot Practice degree from Middlesex University, and with a pilot’s licence which fully meets all CAA requirements whilst undergoing all of their training at the flight training organisation and airline.
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Opening up a new route for young people to fulfil their dreams of qualifying as a pilot is further proof that Apprenticeships are fast becoming the route to highly paid and coveted jobs.
“It is our ambition to make it the norm for school leavers to either go to University or do an Apprenticeship. Higher Apprenticeships like this are crucial to making that a reality.”
David Way, executive director, National Apprenticeship Service said: “This new Higher Apprenticeship in the Aviation industry is another example of how Apprenticeships are growing in quality and ambition. They increasingly reflect the exciting and diverse world of work and the range and level of occupations available.
“Research and experience shows clearly that Apprenticeships deliver real business benefits for employers. This Higher Apprenticeship will also enable aviation firms to diversify their traditional workforce and to attract and invest in talented young people.”
The launch of the HAPAPP has been welcomed across the aviation industry for offering the ability to open up career paths to a diverse range of talented and capable future pilots, rather than just those who can afford to pay for expensive flight training courses as was the case in the past.
Ray Elgy, head of licensing and training standards at the CAA, and chairman of the HAPAPP Programme Board said: “This apprenticeship programme will greatly benefit the aviation industry in both the long and short term. Airlines will be able to draw upon a new generation of talent to fill future flight decks, while a broader recruitment pool will add a diversity of background and experience to their operations, which can only be a positive. The CAA is proud to have been part of the initiative behind this scheme and looks forward to issuing licences to the first graduates.
“I should like to pay tribute to those who have contributed to the success of this initiative. We have been able to draw upon the expertise from a broad base of the industry, with support from GAPAN, GAAC, and BBGA, as well as the National Apprenticeship Service, ASP, Semta and People 1st. Airlines and the three UK integrated course flight training organisations have also been instrumental in the development of the Apprenticeship framework.”
ASP's chief executive officer, Simon Witts, who, with Frances Cambrook, Project Director for the government funded HAPAPP project, has been the leading force behind the new HAPAPP said: “I am over the moon that we have been able to launch this Apprenticeship after a huge amount of hard work and determination by the small group that have pulled this all together, for the first time.
“What is now on offer to airlines and potential recruits is one of the most attractive routes to train to be a pilot, with students being able to gain access to a fully recognised educational framework also opening up full university-level loan and grant support. This means that the barriers to entry for the people who have the right skills and passion have been reduced, opening up access and creating more opportunities to equalise some of the diversity gaps in the industry. I am very proud to see it come to fruition and pay tribute to the many people who have worked to create it.”
Frances Cambrook said: “Changing cultures is never easy and this initiative has achieved just that, a completely new way of looking at how pilots can be trained and their achievements recognised within the mainstream educational system. It has been hugely challenging but very rewarding to support the industry in addressing their skills needs in this sector, and to see the opportunities for talented aspiring pilots begin to open up through the Higher Apprenticeship.”
Dr Darryll Bravenboer from Middlesex University’s Institute for Work Based Learning said: “Higher level professional apprenticeships have a crucial role to play in ensuring the UK has the skilled workforce it needs. When education and industry work together we can provide people with both professional status and a university qualification. Aiming for the best of both worlds is an enticing prospect for talented people looking to get a head start in a professional career.”
Bill Twigg, Semta's apprenticeship director said: “This is a fantastic scheme which opens up a great number of possibilities not just for future pilots but also across the whole of the aviation industry throughout Europe. We know there is a need for 100,000 pilots across Europe by 2030 so creating a Higher Apprenticeship Framework, simplifying the current complex routes into training by bringing all the elements together in one package and engaging with schools and colleges, aviation groups will ensure airlines and their passengers get the best trained pilots in the world.”
The first students are expected to enrol on the scheme from July 2013 and more details, including information advice and guidance for budding pilots can be found at www.aviationskillspartnership.com
The Aviation Skills Partnership intends to develop similar pathways for air traffic control, operations and crewing, engineering and maintenance, cabin crew and airport operations.
