CASA appears to be ignoring a direct link between aviation safety regulations and a critical shortage of trained engineers, according to the Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association (AMROBA).
AMROBA Executive Director Ken Cannane made the claim in a communique to members last week in which he outlined what he believes is a causal link between the CASRs and training outcomes.
"Australia’s civil aviation regulatory system has not addressed the industry declining numbers of maintenance personnel, including licenced personnel, and seem oblivious to the fact that the current regulatory provisions have a direct impact on the shortages," Cannane said.
"The lack of aviation regulations and standards ... has prevented apprentices national VET training courses underpinning the B1.2 [piston engine, fixed-wing], B1.3 [turbine engine, helicopter] and B1.4 [piston engine, helicopter] trade training pathways.
"This has led to the critical shortage of tradespersons and associated licences."
However, AMROBA believes the current Vocational Education Training (VET) system is capable of fulfilling Australia's growing demand for engineers if CASA steps in.
"The VET system can provide appropriately qualified trades persons with licencing knowledge," Cannane said. "CASA must not only provide the EASA knowledge, but also the practical skills/course nominal hours for each licence, based on the EASA practical skills/course nominal hours for the adopted licences that comply with international standards.
"This has not been in place since mid-1990s – main reason why this industry has shortages."
AMROBA says that whilst the VET, ICAO, EASA and other National Aviation Authorities (NAA) include the knowledge, skills and course duration in their standards, CASA does not.
According to Cannane, the MRO industry has been calling for action for many years.
"From an employers’ point of view, we need a national training system that provides training and qualifications that are acceptable to the licencing authority so they can issue each licence," he said.
"Employers are extremely frustrated as their inputs over two decades have seen no government corrections.
"It is obvious that a whole of government training approach does not apply in aviation maintenance sectors other than the airlines, applicable government agencies need to work together to provide the solution."
CASA is currently planning to address some shortages by fast-tracking overseas engineers, and still has an outstanding action to streamline the training process from the last GA Workplan.
CASR Part 43 on GA aircraft maintenance is also outstanding seven years after it was announced, complicated by AMROBA withdrawing support because the CASA proposal is not a complete adoption of the USA's FAR 23.