The Skills Development Centre has been established to provide dedicated on-the-job training for the F-35’s first cohort of task-authorised technicians, known as aircraft workers.
The aircraft workers represent a new classification of technical personnel; recruited, trained, and authorised to perform specific maintenance tasks in support of Australia’s F-35 capability.
The aircraft worker pathway complements BAE Systems’ apprenticeship pathway to technical qualification.
Apprenticeships take up to four years to attain full technical qualification, whereas the aircraft worker pathway is designed to develop task-authorised personnel in approximately 12 months.
Claire Kluge, F-35 Program Manager at BAE Systems Australia said the ‘speed to capability’ initiative will make a vital resourcing contribution to Australia’s defence capability as the F-35 regional depot expands rapidly over the next decade.
The first cohort of F-35 Aircraft Workers and commissioning of the Skills Development Centre is an exciting milestone for Aerospace, and it represents a bold and innovative contribution to F-35 capability.Ms Kluge said.
The Skills Development Centre will significantly reduce the aircraft worker on-the-job training required in the F-35 modification and maintenance venues, and significantly decrease the time required to achieve task authorisation.
“The achievement of this milestone required the dedicated and collective efforts of a large, multi-disciplinary team,” she said.
“The development of this course is also an excellent example of the strong working relationship that we have with Defence and the Royal Australian Air Force, and certainly one that shows all parties moving towards enhancing the workforce and operational effectiveness.”
The aircraft workers will spend approximately two months in the Skills Development Centre before completing the final, formal components of technical training and then being assigned to various F-35 maintenance venues.
The Skills Development Centre will be utilised for future cohorts of aircraft workers and has potential to complement Apprentice training, induct new F-35 technicians, and deliver allied trade and profession training.