SINGAPORE AIRLINES (National Licensed Aircraft Engineers)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Phey Yew Kok asked the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Singapore Airlines and inform the House (i) the present number of National Licensed Aircraft Engineers employed by the Airlines; (ii) the facilities that exist for training them; (iii) the number of such engineers who have resigned since the Airlines was formed; and (iv) the number of existing vacancies and the steps being taken to fill them with National Licensed Aircraft Engineers.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, I understand from Singapore Airlines that there are 166 Licensed Aircraft Engineers employed on national terms on 18th March, 1975.

As for the facilities that exist for training them, apprentice engineers serve a five-year period of education and training at the Polytechnic, the SIA Engineering Training School and on the shop floor gaining practical experience. They spend the first year full-time at the Singapore Polytechnic; from the second to the fifth year they spend one day and two evenings a week at the Polytechnic. Their theoretical education is supplemented by instruction at the SIA Engineering Training School. The training is rounded off by on-the-job shop floor experience, chiefly in the last two years of apprenticeship. By the end of the fifth year they should be in possession not only of a Singapore Polytechnic Diploma but also of two professional licences issued by the Singapore Director of Civil Aviation.

Thirteen Licensed Aircraft Engineers on national terms have resigned since SIA was formed on 1st October, 1972.

There are now 38 vacancies for staff at all levels required to hold aircraft engineer licences.

The number of apprentice engineers is 257, of whom 12 will be completing their training in July of this year, 27 in August of next year, 37 in 1977, 113 in 1978 and the remaining 68 in 1979. S1A's manpower development plan provides for the recruitment of 85 apprentice engineers this year and thereafter 50 a year.

2.33 p.m.