It’s expected that most of the academy trainees will be hired by Qantas, though some will go on to other parts of the aviation and defence industry. Credit: Qantas Group.

The Qantas Group has selected the cities of Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia as the two locations for its new Engineering Academy set to open in 2025. 

The two sites have been chosen thanks to their proximity to airports with a strong Qantas and Jetstar presence and trainees at the academy will be able to choose which city they wish to study in. 

CEO Alan Joyce said the new academy continues a “proud history” of Qantas having “some of the best engineers in the world.”

Joyce said: “Training is in our DNA. We’re delivering around 2 million hours in training in 2023 alone and like our Pilot Academy, this will build our pipeline of talent for both the Qantas Group and Australian aviation more broadly. 

“We’ve already had almost 1,000 people register their interest in joining the Academy and it’s a great opportunity for people looking at a career in aviation.” 

The Academy is expected to host 300 trainee engineers when it opens, 200 of which are likely to be hired by the Qantas Group while the rest will likely work across the defence and aviation sectors.

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Training at the academy will be carried out in partnership with training provider Aviation Australia, including a mix of classroom work and real-world learning environment experiences. 

Australian Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor welcomed the news of the academy to help correct a “skill shortage” in the country’s aviation sector: “Thousands of new workers are needed in the aviation industry, creating significant opportunities for people to get jobs that are in demand and the government supports investment in skills to develop the aviation engineers of the future.” 

Qantas’ Engineering Academy is part of a major investment by the company into training and recruitment, joining other sites such as the upcoming multi-million-dollar flight training centre in Sydney, which recently began construction.

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