REME / Avionics & Electronics Life

**rockhoppercrab** · 22-04-2009, 17:21

Originally Posted by big_s

Aircraft Technician

3. What opportunities for different qualifications are there?
You will get trade quals which mean something in the job but you also get some civvy quals. After your Class 1 course you will have a level 3 NVQ and a BTEC in Mechanical Engineering. You also get an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship in Engineering. Further on as a SGT, you can get a Licentiateship from London City and Guilds in 'Leadership and Management' and 'Mechanical Engineering'. Unfortunately, as it stands now, you do not get any modules for the EASA license from the CAA which is essential if you wanna carry on with aircraft if you get out.

Not exactly true, plenty of work for those of us without licenses.

**arrse90** · 22-04-2009, 19:01

Originally Posted by alicio

Just a quick question, think it is best i post it here.

I've heard from a friend who is in Phase two for electronics tech at the moment that their phase two is modular, and takes up to 2 and a half years to complete (despite all careers info indicating it to be max 18months), as each module has a 2 month break inbetween.
Was just interested in hearing the truth in this?
How long did it take everyone here to train? (from the start of basic to going to a unit i mean)

cheers

Utter rubbish!! the most standdown you will have once on a course is 2 weeks and that happens rarely!! Alot of time has been put into the training Pipelines to ensure people are not sat around!!

**sparky8** · 22-04-2009, 20:14

SNUT is not a dirty word

Crevice however.............

**Litotes** · 22-04-2009, 21:32

Originally Posted by tomjj

Originally Posted by Yapper

Does anybody know the current waiting time to start basic training for Avionics/Electronics technicians? I have my first interview next week and was looking for some idea of the upcoming dates I'd be likely to start Phase 1 training, assuming I pass the interview and selection.

Current intake is September so you're most probably looking at next year once you pass selection

Where did you get that idea?

The only part of the organisation working to that timeframe is Harrogate, to my knowledge. I'm going out on a limb here, but the original poster made no reference to Harrogate or apprentice training.

For Yapper: Once you have passed all the hurdles, you will be allocated a place on Phase 1 training. No-one on here will be able to give you an idea of how long that takes but, as in previous years, this time of the year is generally better as you are not competing with those who have just left school (Aug-Dec). A few weeks, I guess.....

Start reading up on your Maths and Science!

Good Luck.

Litotes

**Litotes** · 22-04-2009, 21:33

Originally Posted by sparky8

SNUT is not a dirty word

Crevice however.............

Stop swearing, Sparky! I thought I had left S**T long behind me!

Litotes

**Unlucky_Alf** · 23-04-2009, 18:55

Originally Posted by Litotes

Originally Posted by sparky8

SNUT is not a dirty word

Crevice however.............

Stop swearing, Sparky! I thought I had left S**T long behind me!

Litotes

What about SATT, is that a dirty word?

**sparky8** · 23-04-2009, 19:10

Positively disgusting!

The SATT is dead, long live the SNUT!

**bluebells** · 13-05-2009, 13:02

Originally Posted by alicio

Just a quick question, think it is best i post it here.

I've heard from a friend who is in Phase two for electronics tech at the moment that their phase two is modular, and takes up to 2 and a half years to complete (despite all careers info indicating it to be max 18months), as each module has a 2 month break inbetween.
Was just interested in hearing the truth in this?
How long did it take everyone here to train? (from the start of basic to going to a unit i mean)

cheers

To answer your question, yes the courses broken up in to modules and there are stand down periods that are programmed in. In general these periods are programmed for when the school is stood down and enable all the staff and trainees to take their leave entitlement. For the Tech Elect basic cse there is a straight pipeline of modules and you will generally finish one module on a Friday and start the next one on the Monday. The posting that you get will dictate which Equipment course you need to do and there can be a gap here between finishing the Tech Elect cse and the start of the equipment cse.

For the light blue courses there are built in gaps for some trainees. This is because it takes several foundation course starts to build up enough trainees to make a course viable. For some there is no wait at all, for others there could be a wait of up to a month.

There are other reasons why you might fall off the training pipeline and spend time waiting to get back on cse. For example a medical or welfare reason which means that you need to suspend your cse. The Phase 2 schools are under constant scrutiny to reduce Soldiers Not Under Training (SNUT) as the aim is to get you out to the field force as quickly as possible. If you are on SNUT it does not mean that you will not be gainfully occupied, it just means that you are not doing one of the specified cse modules.

**alicio** · 13-05-2009, 13:57

excellent cheers for clearing that up for me!

**shrapnel1964** · 17-08-2009, 12:59

My son will leave Harrogate in December then go on to Bordon to do his phase 2 VM course ,because he will already have done his 5 week foundation course he has heard a rumour he will be given that time off with leave !!!!

I find this hard to believe......It certainly would not have happened in my day

**arrse90** · 17-08-2009, 18:45

Harrogate intakes to Arborfield do a shorter foundation course!! 2 weeks! Not sure about Bordon though!

**Unlucky_Alf** · 18-08-2009, 22:59

Originally Posted by shrapnel1964

My son will leave Harrogate in December then go on to Bordon to do his phase 2 VM course ,because he will already have done his 5 week foundation course he has heard a rumour he will be given that time off with leave !!!!

I find this hard to believe......It certainly would not have happened in my day

I very, very, very much doubt he has caught the right end of the stick there. I do absolutely love rumours such as this though - extra leave for everyone!

**shrapnel1964** · 19-08-2009, 11:06

Yep .....Thats what I thought :D

**AJ-W** · 26-01-2010, 22:02

right its getting to that special point in a young techs life when i'm about to finish my tech elec. training and its time to start looking for postings, was just thinking which units you would recommend??

AJ-W

**bluebells** · 01-02-2010, 11:53

AJ-W,

There is an element of luck in the process that narrows down your options. The way the it works is that towards the end of your basic cse when you are on CEA(B), the school approaches MCM to get enough postings places for all of the trainees on the course. MCM look around for jobs that need filling and look at the equipment course required for each job and when the school is next running that course. They then email back a list of jobs available with dates of the matched equipment courses.

As a course you will then get briefed by the ASM in Trg Management on what is available. If the your dream job or location is not on this list then dry your eyes as you will be getting one of the postings on this list. There is an element of choice and you will be asked to submit your preferences with reasons. When you have all submitted your preferences the ASM looks at the plot and takes advice from the Land Systems staff on you suitability for the equipment course that you have asked for. The plot is then issued to MCM who then produce assignment orders.

Your posting date depends on when the equipment course is. It is extremely unlikely that your equipment course will start immediately after CEA(B). There can be a gap of up to 4 months. Until recently you were held at the school as SNUT and/or sent on driver training (10 weeks at Leconsfield). Following a recent policy change you may now be posted to your new unit and return later on to do your equipment course. The principle that will be applied is that if you would end up hanging around on SNUT for more than 14 days then you will be posted to your new unit and return when your equipment course starts.

As to recommending specific units, locations and equipments, I would wait until you know what jobs are on the list that you are presented with.

Bluebells