{"id":225983,"date":"2019-12-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/225983\/gateway-to-the-global-sky-open-to-local-training-academy\/"},"modified":"2019-12-19T08:58:47","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T06:58:47","slug":"gateway-to-the-global-sky-open-to-local-training-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/12\/18\/gateway-to-the-global-sky-open-to-local-training-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Gateway to the global sky open to local training academy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cA family that fights together, stays together.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are the words of Arina van Tonder, one of the three dynamic people who run ITC Academy based at Rand Airport.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

Not only is the company a family-owned enterprise run by Marthinus Potgieter, his daughter Arina and son-in-law Matthys van Tonder, but they believe their students and qualified aircraft engineers are part of the family and everyone works to a collective goal.<\/p>\n

ITC Academy was founded in 2007 by Potgieter, a former technical training manager at South African Airways (SAA).<\/p>

<\/div>\n

\u201cAviation has been my lifelong passion and I learnt everything I know at SAA,\u201d said Marthinus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI founded ITC Academy with one absolute goal and that was to train and produce top quality aircraft engineers, not only within South Africa but globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Aircraft engineering students at ITC Academy need to strip the piston engine of a Lear jet, measure it and put it back together. The aircraft is used for EASA training.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And the academy has certainly been growing towards that, training people throughout South Africa, as well as all over Africa.<\/p>\n

Now reaching global training status has become an achievable goal as the academy was recently awarded an European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) basic training certificate.<\/p>\n

Making the academy the only holder of an EASA basic training certificate in Southern Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EASA certificate is our golden ticket to the world,\u201d said Marthinus.<\/p>\n

EASA is the ultimate approval to have within the aviation industry.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n

Senior citizens take to the skies<\/a><\/p>\n

Children treated to a day of high-flying thrills<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With an EASA basic training qualification, you can work anywhere in the world as they are deemed the highest authority globally.<\/p>\n

It took 18 months and approximately R1-million to attain the certification.<\/p>\n

The academy does not have an external investor so they had to come up with the money themselves, but they did, and now they can be competitive in the world.<\/p>\n

When training students the team try to instil passion for aviation into their apprentices.<\/p>\n

\u201cAviation is not a job, it is a passion,\u201d said Marthinus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a relationship with all our students and as long as you are an aircraft engineer we will have a relationship. You are part of the ITC family,\u201d said Arina.<\/p>\n

Potgieter added that you must be passionate, as well as have an aptitude for the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to have good maths and physics marks for Grade 12,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Arina said that when taking on a new student at the academy they do personality tests and job readiness tests with the apprentice.<\/p>\n

These tests are administered by a psychologist.<\/p>\n

The apprentices are also involved in helping at the academy.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Khomotso Kgowana, a student at ITC Academy, situated at Rand Airport, busy with her 35 days of filing. The exercise teaches the students precision and patience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arina said she has a social media squad, as well as a marketing department, made up of students, who assist her.<\/p>\n

ITC has an EASA plan which they will be implementing in January.<\/p>\n

They will start off with examinations on different modules for already qualified engineers.<\/p>\n

Then basic training (A Level) will commence for new students.<\/p>\n

The course involves 800 hours of theory, as well as one year practical training.<\/p>\n

Once aircraft engineers have completed the required training they can progress to becoming a B1 or B2 engineer (an engineer who is highly qualified in Europe).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EASA training will be a stepping stone to the world for aircraft engineers,\u201d said Marthinus.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>or Ashley Kiley (Journalist)\u00a0ashleyk@caxton.co.za.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Also follow us on:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/p>
\n