Sydney Flight College will use Symbiotics' ADAPT assessment platform to select cadets at both its Bankstown and Tamworth campuses, in a bid to lift course completion rates.
Sydney Flight College (SFC) has partnered with aviation assessment specialist Symbiotics to bring airline-style aptitude testing to its cadet selection process.
Under the partnership, SFC will use Symbiotics' online ADAPT assessment platform at its Bankstown college and Tamworth Pilot Academy, giving all cadet applicants the same evidence-based selection process regardless of where they apply.
The platform assesses aptitude, cognitive skills and behavioural attributes, with the aim of identifying candidates most likely to succeed in pilot training and complete their course.
SFC CEO Joseph Pilo said the move was about student success rather than student numbers.
"Our goal is simple: we want to give every student who joins SFC the best possible opportunity to succeed," he said. "By adopting the same assessment platform used by airlines around the world, we're introducing an additional level of confidence and consistency into our selection process.
"Ultimately, success for us isn't measured by enrolments. It's measured by students completing their training, achieving their licences and going on to build successful careers in aviation."
The partnership comes as the industry grapples with workforce shortages. The Australian Government's 2024 Aviation White Paper identified shortages of pilots, flight instructors and aviation engineers as a key constraint on growth, particularly in regional aviation.
Pilo said flight training organisations had a critical role to play in addressing that challenge.
Symbiotics Director of Strategy and Growth Hannah Davies said the answer to the shortage was not simply training more people.
"The aviation industry needs more pilots, but addressing that demand isn't simply about increasing training numbers. It's about identifying individuals with the aptitude, capability and personal attributes required to succeed through what is an intensive and demanding training journey," she said.
"By introducing a proven, industry-recognised assessment process at the earliest stages of recruitment, Sydney Flight College is taking a proactive approach to improving training outcomes and supporting the long-term strength of the pilot pipeline."