NMIT & NZAero launch Hamilton aviation training hub

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and NZAero are launching an aviation engineering training initiative in Hamilton, based inside NZAero's aircraft manufacturing facility.

The programme brings NMIT's specialist aviation engineering training into the North Island as New Zealand's aviation sector faces a widening shortage of engineers. Industry projections cited by the organisations show the country will need about 4,500 aviation engineers by 2034, up from roughly 3,000 today.

The current shortfall is estimated at around 500 engineers. Modelling for the Aviation Industry Association and the former Services Workforce Development Council, Ringa Hora, indicates the gap between supply and demand is growing by an average of 7% a year.

Demand for aviation engineers is forecast to rise by about 2% to 3% annually, while the wider New Zealand labour force is expected to grow by about 1%. At the same time, the number of new entrants to aviation engineering is projected to increase by around 1.4% a year, while exits from the workforce are expected to rise by about 3%.

This imbalance is adding pressure to the labour market that supports aircraft maintenance, repair, certification and manufacturing. The organisations behind the Hamilton programme say the shortage risks limiting maintenance capacity and constraining growth across aviation and aerospace businesses.

Training base

NMIT has delivered aviation engineering education for more than 20 years and is a Civil Aviation Authority-approved Part 147 training provider. Its aviation programmes have traditionally been concentrated in Nelson and Marlborough, making the Hamilton site a significant extension of that training footprint.

The programme will be based at NZAero's Waikato facility, where the company designs, manufactures, maintains and modifies aircraft for customers in New Zealand and overseas. Once fully established, the initiative is expected to contribute to the training of up to 230 aviation engineering students each year across New Zealand.

Hamilton was also chosen because of where demand is coming from. NMIT says a significant share of student interest is now being generated in the North Island, and the new site is intended to widen access to specialist training outside the South Island.

Dr Caroline Seelig, Chief Executive Officer of NMIT, said the supply issue is becoming more acute as experienced workers leave the sector and overseas competition for skilled engineers intensifies.

"We are not bringing people into the industry fast enough to replace those leaving, let alone provide the additional engineers we will need as aviation grows.

"At the same time, every major aviation market is competing for the same people, which means experienced engineers are becoming harder and more expensive to recruit from overseas.

"Aviation engineering is highly specialised and regulated, and it takes years to train people and build the experience needed to maintain, repair and certify aircraft. This isn't a shortage you can solve quickly once it becomes critical.

"If we don't increase the number coming through, we are going to see pressure on maintenance capacity, aircraft potentially spending longer out of service and aviation businesses reaching limits on how much work they can take on," Seelig said.

Industry demand

NZAero says the shortage is already affecting its expansion plans. The company has been increasing its international activity from Hamilton, including restarting production of its CT-4 Airtrainer after a 14-year pause and seeking aircraft sales in overseas markets.

Stephen Burrows, Chief Executive Officer of NZAero, said the workforce required to support aviation is often overlooked.

"As a broad industry rule of thumb, four engineers are required to support each pilot and the aircraft they operate.

"The workforce we will need later this decade depends on the training decisions being made now and, for companies like NZAero, the shortage is already becoming a direct constraint on growth.

"We are expanding into international markets, but winning export orders is only part of the equation. We also need enough skilled people in New Zealand to build the aircraft and support them once they are in service," Burrows said.

The Hamilton model places students within a working manufacturing site rather than a standalone campus. The structure is intended to give trainees direct exposure to aircraft production and maintenance processes as they learn.

Burrows said the arrangement could also help NZAero identify future recruits while supporting the wider labour market.

"There is a real advantage in training people alongside an operating aircraft manufacturing business because they can see how the skills they are learning are applied in practice.

"It also gives us the opportunity to identify and develop people who could ultimately move into roles within our factory as we expand production.

"The benefit extends beyond NZAero because these are skills that are in demand across aircraft manufacturing, maintenance and the wider aviation industry," Burrows said.

NMIT says the Hamilton site will also make it easier for learners to choose between North Island and South Island training locations. The institute adds that the location offers access to surrounding centres including Cambridge and Te Awamutu, with lower accommodation and transport costs than Auckland.

Seelig said the expansion responds to both geography and workforce need.

"New Zealand has a clear need for more aviation engineers and increasing the training pipeline is essential if the sector is going to meet future demand.

"Much of NMIT's specialist aviation engineering provision has historically been based in the South Island, while a significant proportion of prospective student interest is now coming from the North Island.

"Establishing training in Hamilton means learners can choose to train in either the North or South Island, and this initiative places them directly within an operating aviation manufacturing environment," Seelig said.