Technical Trainee Opportunities 
Technical Trainee Opportunities
Annually, Airways seeks to employ one or two motivated, quality-focused team-players graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology to take up a career in Maintenance Engineering by joining our Technical Trainee Program.
The programme offers full-time paid practical, theoretical and on-the-job training, interesting work, mentoring and a long term career path. This will open doors to potential promotion and international travel with Airways.
Trainees start on a package of $48,000 with 6-monthly performance based increases.
About Airways
Airways New Zealand is one of the world's leading providers of commercial Air Navigation Services, responsible for managing all domestic and international air traffic within New Zealand's 30 million square kilometres of airspace.
We have won several national and international industry awards in recognition of being market leaders and for delivering customer service excellence. We are also increasingly engaged in off-shore projects for international Air Navigation Service Providers.
About our Maintenance Department
Our Maintenance team install, maintain and repair ground based radio navigational aids, radars, air traffic management and communication systems which provide aircraft position information and communication channels to air traffic controllers and pilots.
About our Technical Trainee Program
Our Trainee program aims to develop excellent Technicians with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to grow into Principal Technicians. Our Trainees go on to manage our safety critical domestic systems and represent Airways to our growing international customer base.
Trainees spend their first year in Christchurch focusing on three activities:
- Building on their theoretical knowledge via specialised internal theory and equipment courses
- Developing their skills through practical On-Job-Training
- Taking part in rotations across different teams
In the second year of the program, Trainees are attached to a Technical unit at either Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North or Auckland, depending on the needs of the business.
On completion of the programme – usually at the end of year two - the Trainee will graduate as a Technician and will be deployed to one of our Technical locations across New Zealand.
About our Technical Trainees
To be eligible to join the Technical Trainee program you will:
- Already hold or be in your final year of a Bachelor of Engineering Technology specializing in electronics, ideally with strands in radio and data communications.
- Enjoy theory based training courses and then be able to apply this learning practically.
- Possess good mechanical aptitude: Can already use basic hand tools, power tools and test equipment and have the mechanical aptitude to learn to use more specialised tools and equipment.
- Hold a current New Zealand motorcar drivers license.
- Be willing to climb ladders to 10m and to travel in helicopters, light aircraft and boats if required.
- Be open to starting with Airways at Christchurch with the possibility of being posted permanently to other national locations at a later stage.
- Have an interest in aviation.
- Be a New Zealand Citizen or hold permanent New Zealand residency status.
You can find more information about the role in this Position Description
Register and apply to become a Technical Trainee at our vacancy page
About the Selection Process
Step 1 |
On-line registration and application form |
Step 2 |
On-line aptitude testing |
Step 3 |
One day assessment centre At the assessment centre you will meet a number of the staff with whom you will work should you choose to join Airways. You will also meet the other candidates. You’ll take part in two interviews, a fault-finding test and two practical exercises. You’ll also be given a tour of the site. You will be given instructions on how to complete each activity on the day. We ask you to wear casual clothing which you won’t mind getting a little dusty and that will be comfortable when using a soldering iron. The competencies that we will be assessing are: Collecting and Analysing Information Seeks data from manuals, logs, tests and inspections or experienced people when researching problems; balances risk and competing factors when considering actions; uses knowledge of component, system and business needs to make decisions; takes information in quickly and uses it accurately. Professional Communication Is positive and confident in communications; keeps people informed on progress; follows up to ensure understanding; accurately records information; persuades people that the course of action they are suggesting is right and necessary. We Are Safe Accepts individual responsibility for own actions and the overall outcome. Takes pride in being proactive, accurate and attentive to process and detail. Creates a safe environment by being supportive and working together. Questions and suggests improvements, open to feedback and willing to learn. We Value Each Other Openly recognises, appreciates and acknowledges effort. Respects others, shows courtesy; Appreciates other roles, values opinions and ideas, supports the team; Accepts differences, and gets on with each other. Mechanical aptitude / Manual dexterity Uses basic hand tools, power tools and test equipment proficiently and safely; quickly learns to use more specialised tools and equipment; translates instructions from manuals or colleagues into practical application and follows correct procedures. |
Trainee Snapshots
Ben Petrie joined Airways in 2009 as a technical trainee in Christchurch.
Ben initially got to know about Airways through an interest in air traffic control... read more >>
Jeremy joined Airways as a Technical Trainee in 2006.
After completing his Bachelor of Engineering Technology, Jeremy headed to Laos for a year to a job he knew very little about... read more >>
Douglas joined Airways’ Technical Trainee program in 2008 although his interest in aviation started much earlier while his family were posted in Toulouse, France - the aviation capital of Europe. read more >>
Other Careers at Airways
Like the Controllers, the Systems staff are also highly trained and professional employees. Airways recruits experienced and qualified engineers and technicians and then provides up to 18 months of in-house training and on-the-job experience to bring them up to speed with Airways' equipment and processes..