Trainee Aviation Jobs
The aviation industry is very competitive and offers diverse career opportunities, including pilots, flight crew, ground crew, engineers, designers, air traffic controllers, customer service, corporate and marketing jobs. Whatever the aviation job, you are likely to need training of some kind, if not specific academic and industry qualifications. You should first decide the type of aviation career you want to pursue, then determine the qualifications you need for trainee or ground-level employment in that specific field.
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Engineering Apprenticeships
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As a result of an aging workforce, attrition owing to retirements, and rapidly evolving technology, some airlines offer engineering apprenticeships or trainee programs to boost their skilled workforce. For example, in September 2010, British Airways launched two apprenticeship programs to train engineers for its next-generation fleet of aircraft. Engineering trainees will generally undertake a combination of academic courses and hands-on work experience over three or four years before gaining aeronautical engineering qualifications.
Pilot Training
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To become a commercial airline pilot, candidates must have both academic qualifications and aeronautical experience consisting of many thousands of hours of flying. Trainee commercial pilots most frequently have backgrounds as military pilots, and military training is also one of the most cost-effective ways to obtain pilot training of sufficient quality for entry into commercial pilot employment.
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Flight Attendant Training
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American Airlines, for example, sends flight attendant trainees to its Training and Conference Center in Dallas, Texas. The 45-day, unpaid course instructs candidates on the airline's customer service philosophy, aircraft familiarization, in-flight services and emergency procedures. To enter this program, candidates must be at least 20 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, and at least two years of further education or customer service experience.
Air Traffic Control
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Air traffic controllers manage the in-flight and on-ground movement of aircraft to ensure safety and efficiency. For employment as Federal Aviation Authority-approved air traffic control specialist trainees, candidates with no prior experience in air traffic control must be U.S. citizens, under 31 years of age, and able to pass a medical examination, security and background checks and a Federal Aviation Administration pre-employment test.
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