Aviation Australia CEO Tackles Global Maintenance Engineer Shortage at APATS 2025

Glenn Ryan brings a unique perspective to aviation maintenance training - 30 years of military experience, including running the Army Aviation Training Centre, now applied to addressing Australia's critical aircraft maintenance engineer shortage. 

As CEO of Aviation Australia, he will present: "Australia's Maintenance Workforce Challenges and Solutions for a Future Ready Asian MRO Market" at APATS 2025's Maintenance Session 4 in Singapore on August 26, 4:30-6:00 PM.

Joining Ryan in the Competency-Based Training session are Rachel Marie Anthony, Boeing's Customer Instructional Systems Designer, discussing maintainer performance assessment, and Paco Garcia Laja, Airbus's Head of Technical Training Development, addressing CBTA implementation challenges.

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Aviation Australia operates five Australian campuses plus international partnerships in Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Malaysia, training 3,000 students annually through programs ranging from 2,400-hour EASA certification to Australian diploma courses.

Ryan's approach emphasises intensive, hands-on training that accelerates competency development. Of the value they bring to a partnership with Qantas, he explained to APATS 2025 Maintenance Conference Moderator, Stuart Membrey that: "In a day, we can do landing gear two or three times, but in their hangar, they may only get one chance a month."

Next month, Aviation Australia will replace their F28 with a Boeing 717, enhancing digital fault-finding capabilities ahead of APATS 2025. Industry partnerships with over 254 employers provide donated engines and aircraft, including King Airs, ensuring students train on operational equipment.

This practical focus addresses what Ryan considers essential - pairing technical knowledge with real-world application to build both competence and confidence. His military background reinforces this philosophy of hands-on learning that produces job-ready engineers.

We invite you to come along and hear how Aviation Australia's competency-based approach tackles international regulatory complexity as engineers navigate between EASA, FAA, GACA, and CASA jurisdictions. 

Ryan called on the industry to "work together" for global standards recognition, a challenge he'll address at APATS alongside preparing for emerging sectors like remotely piloted aircraft and advanced air mobility.

Ryan's APATS presentation will detail practical solutions for training organisations across the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating how competency-based training addresses immediate workforce needs while preparing for long-term industry evolution.

Make sure you attend APATS 2025 and are part of the conversation!