Airline-Style Screening Comes to Australian Flight School

Sydney Flight College (SFC) has partnered with global aviation assessment specialist Symbiotics to enhance its pilot cadet selection process, helping improve student success rates and support the development of Australia's future pilot workforce.

Under the partnership, SFC will implement Symbiotics' online ADAPT assessment platform across both its Bankstown College and Tamworth Pilot Academy, creating a consistent, evidence-based selection process for all cadet applicants regardless of where they apply from.

The initiative forms part of SFC's ongoing commitment to improving student outcomes by identifying candidates with the aptitude, cognitive skills and behavioural attributes most closely aligned to success in pilot training.

By improving candidate selection and supporting higher course completion rates, SFC aims to increase the number of qualified pilots progressing into the aviation workforce. The Australian Government's 2024 Aviation White Paper highlighted ongoing shortages of pilots, flight instructors and aviation engineers as a key constraint on industry growth, particularly across regional aviation.

Symbiotics Director of Strategy and Growth, Hannah Davies, said the partnership reflects a growing industry focus on selecting candidates with the greatest potential to succeed throughout training and beyond.

"The aviation industry needs more pilots, but addressing that demand isn't simply about increasing training numbers. It's about identifying individuals with the aptitude, capability and personal attributes required to succeed through what is an intensive and demanding training journey.