Aviation Australia and Hawker Pacific have signed an agreement for a specialised training program in Cairns. The program is intended to provide advanced practical expertise to Aviation Maintenance Engineering (AME) students graduating from the Aviation Australia’s International Training Diploma program.
The agreement formalises an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
“The MOU was agreed to in June 2012 and has been working well for both parties," said Hawker Pacific’s Chief Operating Officer, Doug Park, "so we think this is a great time to formalise the processes we have put into place”
The agreement enables students who have been undertaking an International Diploma at the Aviation Australia campus in Brisbane to relocate to Cairns to complete an intensive 10-week program of practical experience with Hawker Pacific. The program offers these students an opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to gain valuable real-world experience in a specialist aircraft maintenance facility.
Up to 20 trainees at a time will be placed with Hawker Pacific.
A number of students have participated in trial programs, including 10 engineers from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) who arrived in Cairns in early August 2012.
“These AME trainees have been working for the ROP for some time and have come to Aviation Australia to gain internationally recognised qualifications” said Mr Bill Horrocks, CEO of Aviation Australia.
“Whilst in this program they are supervised and mentored by some of Australia’s most highly qualified and experienced licenced aircraft maintenance engineers (LAMEs).
“This is an exciting and ground-breaking program for Cairns, the Aviation Australia organisation and Hawker Pacific. We are excited to be able to provide AME students with a tailored training solution through access to a world class working facility with an enhanced focus on practical training outcomes.”
The training program will produce students to the internationally-recognised European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, an accreditation the Hawker Pacific Cairns facility has held for many years.