Cadet Selection

Cadet selection is key to any airline cadet programme. The Pilot Training College has a recommended set of selection criteria which is based on our training experience and feedback from our airline partners. Initial screening, assessment and interviews can be completed by The Pilot Training College team with final interviews and recruitment completed by a joint panel from the airline and PTC. Once selected, cadets receive correspondence from the airline, which outlines the airline’s conditional offer of employment subject to the pilots completing their training and meeting all the prescribed milestones e.g. first time passes on all flight tests, 85% -90% average on JAA ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Exams, exemplary leadership and discipline record etc. Once the cadets have completed all the enrolment procedures it is recommended that the airline appoints a Mentor/ Cadet Liaison Officer to the class, which is generally a current senior First Officer (FO) within the partner airline.

 

How does a Cadetship Programme benefit an airline?

From our experience and most importantly from the feedback which our partner;  airline gives there are many advantages for an airline that operates a Cadetship Programme.

 

The benefits of pre-selecting students from the airline perspective are: 

 

• If pre-selection is timed to suit the airline business model then  there is a constant stream of qualified FO’s awaiting a position with the airline
• Reduction in the cost of expensive recruitment campaigns
• Guarantees that the standard of the training is maintained to the Airline's requirement
• Improved performance and consequently reduced costs to the airline at line training stage
• Better understanding of the pilot’s personality and CRM skills

 

The benefits to the Cadet Pilot are many and include: 

 

• A deep sense of loyalty to their mentored airline,
• Increased motivation to succeed in their chosen profession
• The experience of an airline organisation to draw on
• Mentoring on an individual level from the Airline Liaison Pilot to good preparation for the life of a First Officer

 

Costs of a Cadetship to an airline?

The actual costs of a cadetship programme can vary depending on the level of sponsorship that the airline undertakes. This varies from airline to airline and the standard model is whereby the cadet pilots are bonded for this amount which ensures there is no financial risk to the airline in the long-term.

 

However in the medium to long-term, airlines record a significant positive contribution to the company’s balance sheet. These savings are accrued in the following manner:

 

• Less requirement for expensive contract pilots and payment of recruitment fees to agencies
• Cadets can be paid on local pay-scale rates rather than international contract rates
• Cadets, having been inducted into the airline culture at the beginning of the training process, have a much greater sense of loyalty and company ethos. Companies operating such schemes have recorded as much as a 35% reduction of pilot attrition e.g. pilots leaving the airline to go and fly for another airline “back home”.

 

The Pilot Training College Reporting Processes

One of the key benefits of a cadetship scheme is visibility of the cadet’s progress through all phases of his/her training. The Pilot Training College has invested heavily in technology through the organisation linking all our training bases with an online reporting system, which we can share with our airline partners. This means that individual cadet information is available in real-time to our cadets, instructors, staff and airline partners. Training milestones are noted and it is important for the cadets to have an ongoing open communication with the airline and receive recognition from the airline team when they meet and exceed certain milestones. This helps foster continued company loyalty and commitment. Monthly reports are prepared on each student reviewing items such as: 

 

• Progress against course milestones
• Actual hours compared to course standards
• Attendance rates and results of all interim exams
• Qualitative appraisal under the headings: Maturity, Resilience, Focus, Handling, Decision Making etc.

 

Our internal systems also allow us to highlight any deviations from the norms within the training cycle. This may be in the form of: 

 

• Additional hours over course standard
• Lower than average weekly JAA ATPL test results
• Poor attendance at ground school classes during their training period
• Lower than expected activity during hours building stage