Survival equipment fitter

Reference Number: ST0015

Details of standard

The following Standard reflects employers’ requirements for the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to be competent in the job role.

Role Profile

The Survival Equipment Fitter will maintain aircraft, and personal survival equipment. It is a skilled, complex and specialist role, maintaining survival equipment according to approved requirements and work instructions, using specific tools and equipment. They must comply with regulatory and organisational requirements. They must be able to research data sources, ensuring that on completion of a task all aircraft documentation is accurately filled in. They will be expected to work both individually and as part of a larger maintenance team.

Typical job titles:

Military Survival Equipment Fitter, Survival Equipment Fitter and Military Equipment Fitter

Role Requirements (Knowledge and Skills)

There are different requirements which need a range of options depending upon the employer context.

Core

1. Understand the fundamentals of basic engineering hand skills, electrical hand skills and maintenance practices, including the basic use of measuring or testing equipment
2. Understand the structure, properties and characteristics of materials used in the construction, maintenance and repair of survival equipment
3. Safe selection and use of hand and mechanical tools and equipment while carrying out maintenance of survival equipment
4. Reading, interpreting and understanding engineering data, drawings, specifications, maintenance manuals, computer generated information and aircraft documentation
5. Understanding and complying with statutory, quality and organisational requirements for aviation including safety, documentation, occupational health and safety and policy while carrying out aircraft maintenance techniques
6. Human Factors in aviation – developing an understanding of attitudes and behaviours to ensure aviation safety
7. Use of ground support equipment, including gaseous cylinders and charging equipment
8. Survival equipment functional checks and fault diagnosis
9. Demonstrate their ability to identify and resolve problems using the appropriate processes and understand the limits of their authority/approval
10. Understand how and why Standard Operating Procedures are produced for maintaining survival equipment and the importance of using them

Employer Selected Options – (Select two from the options below)

Options are available through the Apprenticeship depending on the context of the employer’s business in military aviation, rotary or fixed wing aircraft. All routes have core knowledge requirements but practical skills options are likely to differ but are of equal weighting. Minimum requirements and rules of combination are contained in the Employer Occupational Brief (EOB) within the Assessment Strategy.

Employer Selected Options:

1. Carry out maintenance of survival equipment pyrotechnics
2. Carry out maintenance of quick release fittings, inertia reels and restraining harnesses
3. Carry out maintenance and repair of life rafts
4. Carry out maintenance of covert emergency locator beacons
5. Carry out maintenance of night vision goggles
6. Carry out maintenance of parachutes
7. Undertake deployed operations training
8. Carry out maintenance of aircrew equipment assemblies and repairs
9. Carry out maintenance of life preservers

Role Requirements: Employee Behaviours

Modern maintenance organisations require their employees to have a set of behaviours that will ensure success both in their role and in the overall company objectives. The required behaviours are:

1. Strong work ethic: motivated, proactive, committed
2. Dependability and responsibility: punctual, reliable
3. Positive attitude: constructive thinking; motivated to succeed, committed to diversity and environmental, social & economic sustainability.
4. Team player: able to work and interact effectively within a team
5. Effective communication: spoken, listening, body language, presentation, written
6. Adaptability: able to adjust to change
7. Honesty and integrity: truthful, sincere
8. Self-motivation: self-starter; pro-active approach to tasks, able to make appropriate decisions and lead their own development
9. Personal commitment: prepared to make a personal commitment to the industry

Entry Requirements

Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their Apprenticeship. In order to optimise success, candidates will typically possess three GCSEs C grade (or equivalent) or above on entry including Maths and English. Apprentices without Level 2 Maths and English must achieve this prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Duration of Apprenticeship

Typically 36 months, timescales may reduce if an apprentice has prior relevant qualifications/experience.

Qualifications and Development

After a period of foundation skills and technical knowledge development all apprentices will be required to achieve the following

qualifications (working titles -currently in development)

• Level 2 Aerospace and Aviation (Foundation Competence)

plus

• Level 3 Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering Survival Equipment Maintenance

After a further period of skills and technical knowledge development all apprentices will be required to achieve the following qualification (working title - currently in development)

• Level 3 Aerospace and Aviation (Development Competence)

All of the qualification requirements in the foundation and development phase are mandatory outcomes for the completion and final certification of the Apprenticeship Standard. Each qualification has a core and options approach and employers will select the most applicable pathway and unit options to meet their business requirements. Further detail can be found in the Employer Occupational Brief which is an annex to the Assessment Plan.

There will be an assessment at the end of the development phase where the apprentice will need to demonstrate full competence against the qualification outcomes for knowledge, skills and behaviours, set out in the Standard and Employer Occupational Brief. On successful completion of the employer endorsement phase (sign off) apprentices will be then be put forward to be awarded their Apprenticeship completion certificate.

Recognition

This Apprenticeship will be recognised by the Training Requirements Authority (TRA) at the appropriate level of professional competence.

Level and Review

This Apprenticeship Standard is at Level 3 (equivalent to two A levels A*- C grade) and will be reviewed after three years to ensure it continues to meet employers’ requirements and provides the basis for progression to higher qualifications and or job roles.

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