BCIT article

[longjon]

The Mar/Apr issue of Wings has a detailed article about the maintenance program offered at BCIT and the expansion to an intake every 2 weeks. Maybe this news is not to recent but I only read about it and am curious as to the thoughts of the maint departments out there who draw from this pool to fill their ranks of Apprentices.
Seems like a lot of previous posts were not to positive about the graduates and prefered other schools. I still remember the one where the graduate put the tire pressure gauge up to the side of the tire to check the px.
What are your current thought of the BCIT grads?

[maigashi]

I graduated a while ago from BCIT (old campus), i've heard all the stories about the horrible programs and students from there. While i agree that there are some people that came into my program and truely did need to be instucted as to the proper use of a hammer and how to ID a screwdriver by the tip and not the handle, there were also some highly dedicated and intelligent students that have turned into first rate ame's. While there are better schools out there its not like you will not learn anything there and if you are dilligent and intelligent, utilize some of the first rate teachers there you will be effective and valuable to whomever you work for. Like everyone will point out for you when you get out of school, you don't know anything, you learn everything in the field. Going there was neccesary for me for personal reasons, and it got me the same requirements for my license as enywhere else, and thats all that matters in the end. Working around excellent AMES taught me anything i really needed. Hope that helps.
Daniel

[maigashi]

I graduated a while ago from BCIT (old campus), i've heard all the stories about the horrible programs and students from there. While i agree that there are some people that came into my program and truely did need to be instucted as to the proper use of a hammer and how to ID a screwdriver by the tip and not the handle, there were also some highly dedicated and intelligent students that have turned into first rate ame's. While there are better schools out there its not like you will not learn anything there and if you are dilligent and intelligent, utilize some of the first rate teachers there you will be effective and valuable to whomever you work for. Like everyone will point out for you when you get out of school, you don't know anything, you learn everything in the field. Going there was neccesary for me for personal reasons, and it got me the same requirements for my license as enywhere else, and thats all that matters in the end. Working around excellent AMES taught me anything i really needed. Hope that helps.
Daniel

[railker]

I think the main problem is that there is only so much that can be done to weed out the good AMEs from the bad ones on graduation. At a training institution for a diploma like this, you can't simply use judgment and say 'You're going to crash a plane you're so dumb, so we're not going to graduate you'. As long as they memorize the information long enough to pass the exams and slip by the practicals, they can graduate with a shiny diploma but still have not the slightest clue on how to properly do maintenance.

The maturity level in the school is ridiculous at times, too, students goofing around in serious matters, or just around the campus -- disrespect for the aircraft, for tools, personal safety, saw someone trying to ride a longboard down the hallways a while ago. Also, some students aren't even there because they like aircraft -- a good number are there because 'Daddy paid for it', or they thought it would be good money, and in a sense, taking on a personal notion of passion and safety is lost.

All in all, I think pushing out graduates that often IS a bit ridiculous. If BCIT was the only school in Canada, then I'd agree, but there's SAIT, NLC, and half a dozen others across Canada also pushing out graduates. Employers, hopefully, will be able to do their own weeding out of the graduates who took something from the course and didn't simply study for passing exams rather than studying to know and keep the information, so the last few weeks of graduation comes around and the very basics of reciprocating engines is still lost because they didn't bother to remember any longer than it took to write the recip. engine exams earlier that year.

[Tiger Moth]

The problem with the schools is they spoon feed the students. They are not allowed to think for themselves. The schools are being paid to graduate students, not flunk them out even if they deserve it, so they dumb down the program as much as they can get away with.

Just my 2 cents.

[jobhunter]

In my 25+ years as an aircraft mechanic I saw no mechanic who created the water he or she walked on. There were some who were outstanding and others who were not. Some were great at troubleshooting while others seemed to show strength in hands on work. None of this is a reflection of the schools. I taught in an aircraft mechanic's course at the College level and I assure you that we "spoon fed" nobody.
As well having an AME licence means absolutely nothing in relation to quality or skill. It just means you did the required tasks, spent a few years and passed a few BS TC exams. That is all. You now have the right to acquire an ACA on transport category A/C.
I've seen lots of stupid technical mistakes over the years and was guilty myself often enough but stop the generalizing of a school or individuals.

[iflyforpie]

The only real problem I have with BCIT is the rate that they are pumping out students and for what job prospects? When I started training, BCIT had two intakes a year and SAIT had one and jobs were hit and miss (got my first job really fast, four months of unemployment to get my second).

What are they doing with all of these students?

[c170b53]

Things are going swell.
Expenses for 2 years at a school for a student is akin to a gambler thinking his luck will change at the roulette wheel if he just sticks it out. There's a few winners but, surprise surprise the Casino's are getting bigger, fancier and can be found just about everywhere.