City's BEng/MEng in Air Transport Engineering to include LAE qualification from 2013
Improved and unique degree will address global shortage of licensed aircraft engineers.
City University London is responding to the increased global shortage of Licensed Aircraft Engineers (LAEs) and the growing need for LAEs to have a greater academic foundation for their studies.Working with the support of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, City's BEng/MEng Air Transport Engineering (ATE) degree will from 2013 incorporate the entire syllabus and learning outcomes required for the Part 66 LAE licence examinations.
In a course that has hitherto been unavailable anywhere in the UK, students and aviation professionals wishing to pursue a career in aircraft engineering and aircraft management can now acquire an LAE qualification alongside an aviation-focussed engineering degree in three years.
Dr Steve Bond, programme director of the BEng/MEng Air Transport Engineering says:
"City University London has for many years been recognised within the aviation industry for the high calibre of its Air Transport Engineering graduates. This recent syllabus adaptation further cements our respected position with the UK CAA, our students and graduates, and the rest of our stakeholders. We are in a much stronger position to provide a broader platform of career opportunities to meet the growing demands of the aviation industry."
There are currently 12,662 engineers holding a UK CAA-issued Part 66 LAE qualification.
A recent report from the Sector Skills Council for the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Sectors (SEMTA) reveals that 31 percent of companies in the aerospace industry found it difficult to fill vacancies for Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) technicians. Despite the increase in numbers of aircraft in operation, the UK CAA has also mentioned that aircraft engineer numbers have halved during the past 30 years.
Roy Burden, Head of Approved Training Organisations, in the Licensing and Standards department of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), says:
"It is refreshing to see that City University London, a long established aeronautical engineering training institution, has responded to the ever-growing market for Part 66 licensed engineers, with the development of a new course that will provide students with employment opportunities."