In January 2011, I wrote this : https://pagalavan.com/2011/01/18/nurses-pilots-and-soon-doctors/ . A country as small as us had 8 flying schools producing almost 400-500 pilots/year. Today, I saw this interesting news in The Sun ( which obviously would not appear in the main stream newspaper), http://www.thesundaily.my/news/464947 which I have attached below.
Despite the warning last year, the government did not bother to take any action on these colleges. I must say that we have one of the worst human resource planning. Even in this article below, I was shocked by the statement by the DCA DG that “the authorities would not limit or reduce the number of AFTOs or the intake of student pilots as they are private entities which do not receive any subsidy or assistance from the government” !!
WTH, aren’t these trainees paid by PTPTN? Isn’t that an assistance from the government for the students from which the colleges make profit? The cost of training a pilot is high as mentioned below. Imagine someone who spend such an amount of money to become a pilot just to find himself jobless. However, it seems 3 colleges have already closed down but I still see some of these colleges advertising aggressively in the radios about their intake! I have said this many times that education has become a business in Malaysia due our grandiose ideas of becoming a regional education hub!! Just look at the number of africans who come into this country as students but involved in criminal activities. What actions has been taken to these colleges?
If you read the article below carefully, the same thing is happening to the medical field. 10 years ago, there was shortage, thus allow mushrooming of colleges but now the production is more than the job opportunities. In another 4 years, the title may read ” Trained Doctors Fail to Land a Career “…………………..
There are enough evidence that this is coming for the medical field. No one can now deny this fact.
1,174 trained pilots fail to land a career
Posted on 15 August 2012 – 09:47pm
Azizul Rahman Ismail
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA (Aug 15, 2012): With more Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) holders than jobs as pilots available, Malaysia is seeing a glut of flyers.
According to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), there are 1,174 young pilots, who have graduated with CPLs who have yet to find their dream job.
To help unemployed CPL holders, the DCA recently set up a registry on its website for them to advertise their availability to prospective employers within the aviation industry.
The glut is apparently a result of the mushrooming of Approved Flying Training Organisations (AFTO) around the country.
The cost of training at such AFTOs is between RM250,000 and RM270,000 per person over a period of two to three years.
There are currently five AFTOs in the country, down from eight in 2005, as three have since closed.
Commenting on the high number of unemployed CPL holders, DCA director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said in the current market, there are more pilots than the jobs offered.
He attributed the situation to:
>failing global economy due to high prices of oil;
>bad planning, and
>the employment of foreign pilots by local airlines.
The discrepancy between pilots and jobs was caused by the high demand for pilots in early 2000, which in turn resulted in a high number of AFTOs and trained pilots in 2005, he said.
“This was based on the forecasts made predicting a demand of 185,600 pilots in Asia Pacific for the period of 2012 to 2031,” he said.
“However, the global airline industry took a downturn from 2009 to 2011, prompting airlines to review their operations because of escalating fuel prices. As a result, the demand for pilots dropped.”
Commenting on the employment of foreign pilots, mostly as captains, Azharuddin said local airlines are being required to plan for the promotion of qualified Malaysian First Officers to take over from foreign captains.
“This is being done in stages but will probably take three years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azharuddin advised jobless CPL holders not to be choosy and take up other opportunities in the aviation industry that may be available in the shrinking job market.
He said there are job opportunities for them in general aviation, and overseas, as well as at AFTOs as trainers.
“Those who are financially able should also consider converting to helicopter pilot licences as there is still a shortage of helicopter pilots in the country,” he added.
Azharuddin also explained that the authorities would not limit or reduce the number of AFTOs or the intake of student pilots as they are private entities which do not receive any subsidy or assistance from the government.
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