1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:01,640 Speaker 1: Togeather do for ZLA. 2 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 2: Now we've got warnings of a pilot and engineer shortage 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 2: if the government doesn't help students to pay for the training. 4 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 2: A two year course costs are whopping one hundred and 5 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars. Now that is a lot more than 6 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 2: students can borrow to be able to go on the course. 7 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 2: Simon Wallace is the chief executive of the Aviation Industry Association. 8 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 2: Hi Simon, Hello, Heather, So we need about one hundred 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 2: pilots a year. Now, how many are we actually training. 10 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: We're training around four or five hundred students through our 11 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: flight training schools at the moment, and that includes international 12 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: students as well. That number has been as a recovering 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: number from COVID. Obviously we were training a lot more 14 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: before COVID, up to one thousand. So there's many reasons 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: for that. And you know, one of the reasons is 16 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: around as far as domestic students is concerned, is around 17 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: the student loan cap, which has a set at seventy 18 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: thousand in tuition fees are now for training to be 19 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: a pilot hundred and twenty, so students are having to 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: funder a fifty thousand. 21 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 2: Kids, But we need one hundred and we're training five hundred. 22 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: What's the problem. 23 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: Because many of those are international students and they don't 24 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: stay in New Zealand. 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: So how many of them do we know would stay here? 26 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: How many of them are Kiwi students? 27 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: So round about two hundred and fifty carry and those 28 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: those are quite low numbers because we're only just covering 29 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: from COVID. 30 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: But again, and that doesn't sound bad, we need one 31 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:29,919 Speaker 2: hundred and we've got two fifty. 32 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: What's the problem because some of those as well, heither 33 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: are going overseas and not and we can't eat we 34 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: can't always retain them in New Zealand. So that's the 35 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: challenge that we've got. 36 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 2: Okay, now, So as you were saying, when it cost 37 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: about one hundred and twenty thousand dollars a year to 38 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: train this and I think you can only take out 39 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: about seventy k, can't you in your student load? Which 40 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 2: means you need your mum or your dad or yourself 41 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: to fund it. So this is just rich kids who 42 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: become pilots. 43 00:01:54,960 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that is the situation that's being created. And yes, 44 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: if you look at the pilot demographic now it is 45 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: largely mailed, is largely from that cohort, and we actually 46 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: want to provide entry for a whole range of New 47 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: Zealanders to get into pilot training and we can't do 48 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: that with the way it is at the moment. 49 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 2: Okay, what do we do about it? 50 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: So look, the government has asked us to provide some 51 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: evidence of the shortages were certainly anecdotes, and we've gone 52 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: away and done that work and we can now evidence 53 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: that there are shortages. And this is about the future. 54 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: Headed this is about the next five to ten years, 55 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: and we're seeing you not only seeing shortages coming to 56 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: New Zealand, but obviously globally. So it's about giving a 57 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: heads up to the government that we need to get 58 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: these settings changed. If we want more Keiwis coming into 59 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: the pilot workforce and engineering force, then we need to 60 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: look at some of these policy setting. 61 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: If I remember correctly, in New Zealand is doing a 62 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 2: thing with the It sounds like they are paying for 63 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: the training, aren't they. 64 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's great, and we are proud in the industry. 65 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: We are proud in New Zealand. They've they've got thirty 66 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: they've taken thirty graduates on a cadet program. Yeah, they 67 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: can do that, they can fund that, and that is great, 68 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: but that doesn't say much about the funding and the 69 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: tertiary policy settings that we've got here that they're having, 70 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: that they're being forced into doing that. 71 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's a very good point, Simon. Thank you, 72 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: appreciate your time that. Simon Wallace, the chief executive of 73 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 2: the Aviation Industry Association New Zealand. For more from Heather 74 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: Duplessy Allen Drive Listen Lived and news Talks. 75 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: They'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 76 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.