CAAS Rolls Out Initiative to Accelerate Deployment of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers

The initiative will reduce apprenticeship period by up to one year as well as present potential training cost savings for employers

To enhance the attractiveness of aerospace careers and support the industry's manpower needs, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has reviewed its rules on the training of aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs). Under the revised rules, the four-year apprenticeship period for aircraft maintenance engineers could be shortened by up to one year. This will also help the industry reduce training costs.

Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) graduates who want to be employed as aircraft maintenance engineers must obtain the CAAS aircraft maintenance licence. Currently, they are provided with all the necessary aircraft maintenance training by their Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul employers. By allowing IHLs to conduct part of the basic aircraft maintenance training as part of their aerospace curriculum, the students' accumulated aircraft maintenance training hours can now be counted towards the training hours required to qualify for a CAAS aircraft maintenance licence.

The first IHL to tap on this initiative and obtain a SAR-147 Approved Maintenance Training Organisation certification from CAAS is Temasek Polytechnic (TP). TP will incorporate basic aircraft maintenance training into its Aerospace Engineering and Aerospace Electronics course curriculum. TP will cover foundational subjects such as aerodynamics, electrical fundamentals and basic maintenance practices. It will also provide hands-on basic aircraft maintenance training in its facilities. TP graduates who want to work as an AME will undergo the rest of the required training during the apprenticeship period in the industry, which is provided by specialised maintenance training organisations engaged by their employers.

Mr Yap Ong Heng, Director-General of CAAS, said, "With more manpower required to support the growth of the aircraft maintenance sector, CAAS is constantly exploring ways to encourage more IHL graduates to join the industry. In this regard, this initiative will be particularly useful in building the AME pool. In line with CAAS’ ongoing efforts to ensure that our aviation regulations take into account the views of relevant stakeholders, CAAS consulted IHLs and industry partners in developing this initiative. We look forward to more IHLs coming on board this initiative."

About the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)
The mission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is to "Grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore's success". CAAS' roles are to oversee and promote safety in the aviation industry, develop the air hub and aviation industry, provide air navigation services, develop Singapore as a centre for aviation knowledge and training, and contribute to the development of international aviation.

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Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
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