StandardAero’s popular Fleetlands apprenticeship scheme makes a return with Fareham College

Historically, the accolade of being a ‘Fleetlands Apprentice’ was internationally renowned within the Aerospace sector, and now young students will have the opportunity to earn that title once again, embarking on an exciting and rewarding career in aviation engineering.

The launch was celebrated at the CEMAST campus, where representatives from StandardAero, Gosport County Council and the Royal Aeronautical Society engaged with current students and staff, to showcase the opportunities the apprenticeship will provide to future engineers and the local community.

Group Managing Director at StandardAero, Simon Jones, alongside Anoushka Ottley, Director of Business and Partnerships at South Hampshire College Group, both shared their excitement at this collaboration and their own experiences of what apprenticeships bring to the aviation and aerospace industry.

The proximity of CEMAST to StandardAero’s Fleetlands facility means that the students will be in familiar surroundings whilst completing the apprenticeship in which they will split their time between StandardAero’s hangars and the CEMAST workshops, whilst they complete their Level 3 in Aeronautical engineering.

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Alongside a fully refurbished, state-of-the-art engine workshop, Fleetlands is also home to the depth maintenance facility for all RAF Chinook helicopters and includes a full flight test capability, to ensure the aircraft are in perfect condition to return to front line service at RAF Odiham and active operations around the world.

Fleetlands, a site that has been servicing aircraft and gas turbine engines since its beginnings as a Royal Navy Air Yard in 1940, was formerly under Vector Aerospace, before the company was acquired by StandardAero in 2017.

The re-ignition of the Apprentice program is proving popular amongst serving employees, many of whom started their careers in the scheme.

Sean Reed, who started his career in 1988 as a Fleetlands apprentice, and now sits as the Global Business Development Director said “There is a huge buzz around the return of the apprentices, with our employees excited to pass on their skills and teach the next generation, it also brings back a lot of nostalgia of the great times that we had as apprentices, learning our craft in a supportive and enjoyable environment.”

StandardAero will welcome the first cohort of apprentices next September after applications open in early 2025.