Installing electronic components and commissioning and testing aeronautical systems are important safety-related activities for companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Aircraft electronics technicians work within this highly technical field, in which manufacturers and maintenance firms operate.
Working on behalf of the Federal Government and acting in conjunction with the social partners and with experts from the field of company practice and the Federal Aviation Office, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has now updated the regulations governing the three-and-a-half years of training in the occupation. Together with the occupation of aircraft mechanic, this means that the modernisation of dual training in the new occupational group of "Technical aviation occupations" has now been concluded.
A special licence is required in order to be able to work in one of these two occupations. The necessary content for the acquisition of this CAT A-Licence, which entitles holders to give clearance for an aircraft such as an aeroplane or helicopter, was previously learned after training at continuing training courses delivered by vocational schools or other training providers.
Acquiring the licence involved additional costs and considerable expenditure of time. As called for by EU Directive, this required knowledge is now an integral part of the new training regulations. This significantly increases the attractiveness of the occupations, both of which will in future be linked by eight joint periods of training.
The typical tasks of aircraft electronics technicians include the measuring and analysis of electrical functions and systems. For this reason, respective training in qualification units in electrics, i.e. electrical engineering outside the aircraft, and "avionics" - meaning the totality of electrical and electronic devices on board an aircraft - are presented in a differentiated form aligned towards the occupation in question.
New skills requirement
One new skills requirement for aircraft electronics technicians is to accord due consideration to the "role of national and international aviation authorities". Also new is the occupational profile item of "Human factors". Aspects included here include psychological influences - in particular health, stress, time pressure, being over stretched and under-stretched, lack of sleep - and physical influences such as noise, dust, temperature and lighting that may affect people working on aircraft. Due to the fact that these factors may exert an impact on the quality of work results and thus on the safety of aircraft, both the individual and the team bear a particular responsibility in this area.
Completion of training still leads to a qualification as "skilled electrical and electronic engineering worker".
Last year, 117 new training contracts were concluded in the occupation of electronics technician for aviation systems, just under 12 percent of these being with women. Average training allowance based on collective wage agreement was €911 per month in 2012, rising from €843 in the first year of training to €1,007 in the fourth year.
Various upgrading and continuing training pathways are available to aircraft electronics technicians following completion of training. These include, for example, "Certifying Technician CAT B2", certified process manager in electrical engineering (process manager electric/electronics), certified industrial foreman specialising in electrical engineering and state certified technician in the field of avionics.
The new training regulations entered into force on 1 August 2013.