Early Termination crisis inbound?

[Cornish_Pikey]

I'm sure the horde of techies that went through the massive sausage factory that was Tossford in the early-mid 90's have all reached their official end of career point.

I'd be approaching my LOS32 time if I hadn't already left. There was also a big exodus around ten years ago as those lot had hit their 22 year point all finished up and collected their pensions. Seems those that stayed on past their 22 year point are all timing out now. Even with an extension to LOS35 those will be out of the door soon too.

Seems like a lot of "natural wastage" to me. However they are struggling to back fill all the slots that are left.
Those that have been turned to FTRS are being filled by those that are hanging in until they die removing posts for future promotions.

 

[Stevienics]

Not quite so - there are no more age extensions for FTRS but it's a more cost effective option anyway as contracts are only 1-4 years (renegotiable on further need) and there's no training time penalty.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Not quite so - there are no more age extensions for FTRS but it's a more cost effective option anyway as contracts are only 1-4 years (renegotiable on further need) and there's no training time penalty.

View attachment 1011886

Cost effective for mow until they all time out and you need to replace them. No spring chickens there.

 

[Spearmint]

Cost effective for mow until they all time out and you need to replace them. No spring chickens there.

Tomorrow never bothers the short sighted individuals who are determined to show how good they are with cost cutting, only how the balance sheet looks now so they can have another bit of tin on their chest.

 

[Oldstacker]

Cost effective for mow until they all time out and you need to replace them. No spring chickens there.

Like civilianisation & contractorisation of posts, FTRS relies upon an assumed constant outflow of already trained SQEP from the regular ranks to provide replacements. Unfortunately, as the regulars are consistently slimmed down & getting p****d off with MOD they no longer see working for MOD (in any capacity - CS, FTRS) as what they want to do when they are ex-regulars so the (often unspoken/unrecorded) assumptions made in the past (and still going on) about the future availability of SQEP replacements are proving to be flawed...

 

[Stevienics]

Like civilianisation & contractorisation of posts, FTRS relies upon an assumed constant outflow of already trained SQEP from the regular ranks to provide replacements. Unfortunately, as the regulars are consistently slimmed down & getting p****d off with MOD they no longer see working for MOD (in any capacity - CS, FTRS) as what they want to do when they are ex-regulars so the (often unspoken/unrecorded) assumptions made in the past (and still going on) about the future availability of SQEP replacements are proving to be flawed...

Well it's a bit of a leap but I accept your point of view. FTRS as a replacement for Regulars is actually not in the gift of the Reserves, but the post budget holders. More often than not it is a cost decision, based as it is as a simple A vs B comparison, all things being equal. This is changing, however, as the whole Reserves thing moves away from the single IA being mobilised to replace or backfill a JPAN shortage and more towards a capability mobilisation - at least I hope it is. That's what I'm campaigning for.

The whole RAF is designed around a capability, not how many toys we have. All I'm pushing for is a similarly geared Reserve force, because the world is simply to complex to anticipate what happens next and say "we'll be ok".

 

[Keyser Söze]

A Licences are for LINE/Forward work (Officially: Line Maintenance Certifying Mechanics) for which they are restricted to tasks they have been trained for - they can't sign for Base/Depth maintenance jobs except as a mechanic...so think of them as a FLM (for those that remember them!)
B Licences are the 'Base Maintenance Certifying Technicians' who are also A licence holders - they can sign for almost everything - and after 4 years they can apply for>>>>
C licence - Base Maintenance Certifying Engineer - They have to have a suitable degree (or a B was above) and prove they have done OJT for 1 year AND have a type rating course under their belt before applying for a stand-alone C Licence. A C licence can ONLY sign for releasing a Base maintenance check from the hangar (The Base Maintenance CRS or CSR-SMI)

All of these Licences are stand-alone qualifications and NONE is a promotion or considered a rank. (I haven't met a stand-alone C yet!)

Very many LAEs have all three and B2 as well - I have just approved one guy with 40+ types (FW and R) as A, B1, B2 and C....He knows his stuff!

As stated above - wages vary very much on where you are and who you're working with. An aviation QM/CMs wage varies from £55k-90k...or so I'm told!

I mostly agree however:-
There are some A-licenced guys working in Base, as well as Line (Jet2 is example)
Not all B-licence holders work in 'Base Maintenance' (I'm sure you know that) they also work Line AND Base I have done both during my time.

Don't think you are my QM but I do hold B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2, B3, + C plus Group 3 :- every day is a school day, that is the beauty of this job, and realising that teamwork makes the dreamwork

 

[muttywhitedog]

I mostly agree however:-
There are some A-licenced guys working in Base, as well as Line (Jet2 is example)
Not all B-licence holders work in 'Base Maintenance' (I'm sure you know that) they also work Line AND Base I have done both during my time.

Don't think you are my QM but I do hold B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2, B3, + C plus Group 3 :- every day is a school day, that is the beauty of this job, and realising that teamwork makes the dreamwork

It took you a while to come to that conclusion - lets hope you dont need to make a snap decision!

 

[Keyser Söze]

It took you a while to come to that conclusion - lets hope you dont need to make a snap decision!

never one to make a hasty decision ...... repent at your leisure as someone wise once said

 

[Captain Kirk]

I hear there’s quite a big pow wow at a southern HQ soon with the aim being to get to the heart of poor retention.
All great plans fail; I understand it’s FS and above being invited to have an input.

 

[StickyFingers]

I hear there’s quite a big pow wow at a southern HQ soon with the aim being to get to the heart of poor retention.
All great plans fail; I understand it’s FS and above being invited to have an input.

Therein lies the problem. It's not the FSs leaving and even if it was that has the positive of actually freeing up promotion places for the guys below them who are banging out because it's dead man's shoes (and the wages are shit and the food is wank and the accommodation is falling apart and the work life balance is atrocious and the RAF is proven to be discriminatory and its reputation is in tatters and that reflects on you professionally)

Can imagine that meeting right now "Why are people leaving? I love it, I'm never leaving. Who's having a drink in the mess later tonight?" (They all live in the mess, they all are divorced and their partner lives in the house they bought and is taking half their wage and pension.. when they get it)

 

[Captain Kirk]

So a new chief wants answers so he asks the old guard that don’t need to do very much to see their pensions grow.
There needs to be representation at every rank, this is not an easy one to fix; pink bodies are all different.
At the end of the day the opportunity is now lost for another turn of the wheel.

 

[Downsizer]

Therein lies the problem. It's not the FSs leaving

Ha it was me this year! And numerous of my WO and CT cohort!

 

[StickyFingers]

Ha it was me this year! And numerous of my WO and CT cohort!

You'll not be at the meeting then?

 

[Downsizer]

You'll not be at the meeting then?

Nope. Doubt I'd have got the invite were I still in either!

 

[Cat Techie]

I mostly agree however:-
There are some A-licenced guys working in Base, as well as Line (Jet2 is example)
Not all B-licence holders work in 'Base Maintenance' (I'm sure you know that) they also work Line AND Base I have done both during my time.

Don't think you are my QM but I do hold B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2, B3, + C plus Group 3 :- every day is a school day, that is the beauty of this job, and realising that teamwork makes the dreamwork

Indeed. B1.1and last time I did anything remotely base maintenance related was the paint jobs my lot did in Rigga's domain. Never saw him leave his desk TBQH. However that was 4 paint inputs in a 7 year period were I have been on the line. Nothing else but working outside all the time. What is a hangar?

 

[Captain Kirk]

Indeed. B1.1and last time I did anything remotely base maintenance related was the paint jobs my lot did in Rigga's domain. Never saw him leave his desk TBQH. However that was 4 paint inputs in a 7 year period were I have been on the line. Nothing else but working outside all the time. What is a hangar?

Is there a ‘turp’ for this ?

 

[Tin basher]

Seems the problem of numbers of bods in and out of the door is not confined to just the RAF. Albert is also struggling and relaxing the entry rules to try to help the situation. Thin end of the "standards" wedge perhaps

Navy chiefs consider relaxing security checks to help recruitment

Under the proposals, the navy would invite some recruits onto initial courses before they have successfully passed all their vetting, a defence source claimed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Spearmint]

Seems the problem of numbers of bods in and out of the door is not confined to just the RAF. Albert is also struggling and relaxing the entry rules to try to help the situation. Thin end of the "standards" wedge perhaps

Navy chiefs consider relaxing security checks to help recruitment

Under the proposals, the navy would invite some recruits onto initial courses before they have successfully passed all their vetting, a defence source claimed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

That's security clearances in general, across the board and carried out by UKSV personnel. Huge back log in SC and DV checks at the moment, seeing my area struggling to recruit as people aren't being on boarded in good enough time, being handled by the inept entity that is Gattaca and not being given start dates despite performing well at interview. I've lost out on some good candidates due to this (down to a lack of investment - as always) as they usually have a back up plan in another employer willing to allow them to start whilst the clearance is being sorted.

 

[Rigga]

Type is worth nothing unless it is current.

Type is worth nothing without currency. More than 2 years away from 6 in 24, CAA have virtually said a type course is required. I have one current type on my ticket. The others are just typing on a piece of paper and I would have to work doing the different tasks for eons to reactivate currency on them. CAP 2377 refers.

I have no currency on my licence (737 Classics and EC145) none of which would have been useful in my current place….but I still top 70K.