Bachelor of Aviation students at Griffith University could become future pilots with Qantas thanks to a new partnership.
TheQantasFuture Pilot Program provides students with access to experienced pilots during their degree, with selected students invited to complete an intensive 12-week Airline Transition Course.
Graduates can then transition to employment with QantasLink and complete their training under the supervision of QantasLink’s experienced training team and become qualified as First Officers flying the airline’s Dash 8 200/300 or Q400 fleet.
The program is open to a potential pool of 300 students in the next few years.
QantasLink Chief Executive Officer John Gissing said the program would build the next generation of exceptional pilots from within Australia’s top aviation schools and provided students with unparalleled benefits and job certainty not available with any other training program.
“Aviation students will have an enormous head start to their career as a pilot. They will not only benefit from a direct pathway to Australia’s largest regional airline, but will also have access to experienced Qantas Group pilots throughout their studies,” Mr Gissing said.
New pilots are usually only considered for employment with a commercial airline after spending time flying in the general aviation market, which is often gained by flying single-pilot charter aircraft usually in regional areas or by seeking employment outside of Australia.
Griffith Aviation student Kate Richards (far left) attended the launch of the program in Sydney
Griffith Sciences Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Smith said this partnership and other Aviation initiatives like the Graduate Diploma in Flight Management, delivered inPartnership with BASAIR, wassetting students up for a strong career in the industry.
“This fantastic initiativewillequip high-performing andmotivated students with the skills neededto transition intoan airline and provide them with a platform from which to launch their career as apilot within the Qantas Group.
“We are ensuring our students get the best possible start to their career and job opportunities secured early.”
Head of Griffith Aviation Associate Professor Gui Lohmann believes that Griffith Aviation offers a suite of initiatives that put Griffith students ahead in the industry.
“In 2018, Griffith Aviation is launching new initiatives to make sure our cutting-edge degrees are at the forefront of Aviation education,” he said.
“They include a new flight procedure lab, specific courses on Rotary Wings and UAVs, as well as the first ever Helicopter Pilot Training Graduate Diploma in Flight Management.”
To be eligible for the Qantas program, students need to be enrolled in the Bachelor of Aviation program, hold a GPA of 4.0 or above for the duration of their studies, and have Australian work rights.
Applications are now open for the Qantas Future Pilots Program.