>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GATEWAY TO GLIDING By Jill McCaw
The Gateway Programme and the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO) come to Gliding.
There is something very exciting happening that has the potential to bring the greatest flood of keen young people into our sport that we have ever seen. Jill McCaw investigates the Gateway Programme available through schools and looks specifically at the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO) and finds out what they can do for gliding. Most New Zealand schools have access to the Gateway Programme as part of their careers advice and vocational training for students. The programme allows senior high school students to go out and do work experience in trades and industries. The range of industries is vast, including panel-beating, chef and kitchen workers, horticulture, childcare and so much more. As well as learning about chosen vocations, practical and theoretical components of the courses equate to six unit standards for the student’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). The Gateway Programme is now offering ATTTO courses in aviation. A trial course in gliding (paralleling the aviation course for power flying) is being prepared and it is hoped to run this in the New Year at the Canterbury Gliding Club. The trial programme will be adjusted as necessary and will then be available nationwide later in the year. This means that school students who are interested in gliding can take a course with their local gliding club, gaining experience in gliding and the local aviation industry. Hopefully they will also join their local Youth Glide organisation and/or club, stay on and learn to fly. In doing the course they also help themselves earn credits and pass their NCEA. This is a win-win situation for clubs and young people, with the potential to bring the greatest flood of keen excited pilots to our clubs ever. This could revitalise our sport.
But there is a lot of work to be done yet and it has to be done properly. We have to thank Vern Grant, head of Social Sciences at Kuranui College and CFI of Gliding Wairarapa for initially approaching NZQA and ATTTO about setting up an aviation course for schools. Kuranui College has been running a scheme for gliding for four years. It is now time to extend it to all interested schools. The gliding aviation programme will be based on the power flying programme. The Aviation Gateway programme for power flying has been trialled at the Canterbury Aero Club. Ten keen young people attended one two hour session a week for a ten week period. The time out of school is not a problem as most schools have a timetabled day when students play sport or attend vocational training. Gateway participants in all disciplines receive work books and other material which they have to study and will be tested on before passing the course. The school pays for this. The aviation students receive quite a stack of books which include careers in aviation and technical materials like principles of flight, history of aviation and an overview of the CAA. There are also work books which must be filled in when visiting local industries and workplaces. These make up the unit standards: five at level 2 and one at level 1. As well as these unit standards, a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) and now a Glider Pilot’s Licence (GPL) are worth level 3 credits. Any young person who has a GPL can have it cross credited into NCEA level 3 credits. Tom Shields of Youth Glide Omarama has undertaken the training to gain certification as an assessor for the programme. Young people wanting to gain credits for their gliding training should email Tom on tom.shields@century21.co.nz . In their ten weeks with the aero club the students received a pack including free membership for the year, the first three flights of their PPL and a log book. These costs are not included in the school’s programme but were offered at reduced rates by the aero club.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 14
December 2010
