Okay......
First things first, which trade stream are you looking at? Airframe/Engine, Avionics or Structures?
Have you done a pre-apprenticeship? SwanTafe runs a one year pre-apprenticeship course which teaches you the basics of aircraft mechanics, theory of flight, gas turbine theory, electrical theory and aircraft materials and practices. I highly recommend this course as you probably won't get an apprenticeship without one these days.
Other qualifications like a fork lift ticket or confined spaces ticket are also a benefit, but certianly not necessary to get an apprenticeship.
What experience do you have with aircraft maintenance? Have you done any work experience? Helped build a kit plane? Going out into the work force for a week or so can be a real eye opener as to the real world of aircraft maintenance. Its not just tyre kicking and topping up the oil. In time (usually about 1 year in) you will be expected to be able to gut a small aeroplane, complete the necessary inspections, rectify and indentified defects, and reassemble the aeroplane in 2-3 days.
Your apprenticeship will take you 4 years to complete, BUT, if you display above average skills or have Recognition Of Prior Learning (ie a pre-apprenticeship course
) you can have your time reduced to 3.5 years.
Pay rates for apprentices are pretty appalling in the aircraft industry, but rates for a qualified tradesman are pretty good. Expect to get paid about 42% of a unlicensed tradesmans wage in your first year, 55% in your second, 75% in your third, and 88% in your last year. A tradesman should expect to get paid about $58,000 whereas a licensed engineer starts at about $80,000 and gets higher with the more licenses and endorsements you get.
Getting your license is a bit of an issue right now as the whole industry is moving fromt the CASA system to the EASA system to align itself with Europe (meaning your license will soon come with international recognition.
). I daresay that you'll be run through the EASA training program with the A and B licensing system.
Aviation is a hard industry to break into. It really is a case of who you know, not what you know. So get your name out there and start talking to companies and hand out resumes.
Oh, and a little birdie told me that Skywest will be offering some Airframe/Engine apprenticeships next year.
Got any other questions, let me know.
