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Air accident investigator apprenticeships

Engineering and maintenance | Government services | Transport

Air accident investigator apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

  • a university course
  • applying directly


    • University

    You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in engineering or a related subject. Courses include: 

    • aerospace engineering 
    • aeronautical engineering 
    • electrical or electronic engineering 
    • mechanical engineering 
    • physics 
    • mathematics 
    You may be able to do a postgraduate course in safety and accident investigation, which covers air transport. Some investigator roles look at the part played by human factors in an incident, and a degree and postgraduate qualification in psychology would be useful for these. As well as a university qualification, you’ll need several years’ experience of working in aircraft engineering. A pilot’s licence may also be required for some jobs, like an air accident operations inspector.

    You'll usually need 2 or 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, including maths. You'll need a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study.

    Direct Application
    You can apply directly to become an air accident investigator. If you want to work as an operations inspector, managing an accident response team, you’ll need a pilot’s licence and flying experience. To be an engineering investigator or flight data recorder inspector, you’ll need a relevant degree or postgraduate qualification and several years’ recent experience in aerospace engineering. You can also take short courses in accident investigation techniques, which may help broaden your knowledge of the role and skills required. 

    Air accident investigator apprenticeships - what it takes

    Skills and knowledge

    You'll need: 

    • to be thorough and pay attention to detail 
    • knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
    • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations 
    • knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software 
    • the ability to use your initiative 
    • analytical thinking skills 
    • excellent verbal communication skills 
    • persistence and determination 
    • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
    Restrictions and Requirements
    You'll need to: 

    • be a UK citizen
    • pass security checks
    • have a full driving licence

    Air accident investigator apprenticeships - what you'll do

    Day-to-day tasks

    Your day-to-day duties will depend on your exact role but may include: 

    • co-ordinating a team to respond to an incident 
    • gathering and recording evidence to build a picture of what happened 
    • reassembling or dismantling wreckage to look for clues
    • recovering data from flight recorders and instruments
    • using drones to survey accident sites 
    • piecing together events that led to an accident
    • managing the different stages of an investigation 
    • updating relatives on progress, especially in fatal accidents 
    • writing accident reports 
    • making safety recommendations to regulators and the industry 
    • acting as an expert witness at inquests and official inquiries
    Working environment
    You could work in remote rural areas, in an aircraft hangar, in a laboratory or in an office. Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you'll travel often. You may need to wear protective clothing.

    Career path and progression - Air accident investigator apprenticeships

    If you work as an engineering or flight data recorder investigator, you could become an operations director, co-ordinating the investigation process. You could also progress to chief accident inspector. You could use your experience to work as a consultant with aerospace manufacturers, safety regulators or aviation industry insurance companies.

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    Considering an Apprenticeship?

    There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

    • Paid Training
      Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
    • Range of career opportunities
      There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
    • Earn & learn
      As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
    • Great career prospects
      Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
    • Learn on the job
      There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

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