Cabin crew members, or flight attendants, for Australian airlines undergo specialised training to receive job certification. In addition to basic preliminary hiring requirements that include being height and weight proportionate, potential candidates must become certified in first aid and alcohol service. Traditional brick-and-mortar programmes are available, but many students benefit from the flexibility of online courses.
Prerequisites
According to flight attendant school Aviation Australia, interested parties must be at least 18 years of age to work for Australian airlines. A minimum Year 10 education must be completed by the time of enrollment, but Year 12 level is preferred. Candidates must meet physical conditions as determined by the individual airline. The human resources department for each airline has information on specific height restrictions. Second languages are not required, but admissions specialists indicate the skill makes candidates stand out to employers. Cabin crew members do not have to be Australian citizens, but airlines require that employees have permanent residency status.
Training Programmes
Courses offered during flight attendant training vary by programme, but could include the following:
– Workplace health and safety
– Customer relations
– Cabin and galley services
– Dangerous goods
– Evacuation procedures
– Senior first aid
Students earn their responsible service of alcohol (RSA) statement during the cabin and galley services portion. RSA statements are very important, with many airlines requiring proof of the document before an individual is hired.
Once flight attendant courses are successfully completed, candidates receive a Certificate II in Aviation (Flight Operations.) Full-time courses are approximately eight weeks in length. Many programmes also offer part-time and online instruction. To avoid future headaches, students should contact airlines about accepted training formats. Some airlines do not accept online RSA certifications.
Closing
Some airlines send cabin crew candidates for training before making them official hires. Due to the competitive nature of the industry, human resources personnel suggest that interested parties enroll in training programmes before applying to airlines as another method standing out from the crowd. As of October 2011, tuition cost 4,950 Australian dollars (AUD) for the training programme offered at Aviation Australia. Tuition amounts are the same for full, part-time and online training programmes.