The engineering wing of Air India along with Boeing has jointly launched an apprentice programme for AMEs or Aircraft Maintenance Engineers on August 2, 2017. The classes will be conducted initially at the Air India Engineering Service Limited building located in Mumbai. The duration of the programme is one year for which the selection will be based on an entrance examination. Candidates who have qualified from AME institutes approved by DGCA can apply for this one year programme.
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The major objective behind launching the apprentice programme for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers is to boost their employability and will mitigate the demand for skilled workforce.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mr. Jayant Sinha indicated that the ministry would extend the training to pilots and other sectors depending on the response and success of the apprentice programme for AMEs. He also cited a report which indicated that around 72,900 AMEs and technicians would be required by the industry by 2035.
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According to the data of DGCA, there are 3,644 AMEs with bagged basic licenses in the past five years. Among them, only 159 AMEs possess a license for specific types of aircraft. With an objective to increase the number of skilled professionals in the field, the government is planning to roll out new measures including improvement of standards for recognition of AME-training institutes. It will also collaborate with AME institutes and Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University to award graduate degrees to engineers. Apart from that, the government is also developing an interactive portal for monitoring, tracking, registration and disseminating information with respect to the same.