Babcock has commenced a search of the Torres Strait and Far North Queensland to find a homegrown apprentice to join its aviation team on Horn Island, as part of its commitment to developing local talent, fostering skills development and making a positive impact within the communities it services.
The four-year opportunity will provide ground support, including aircraft repairs, maintenance, and scheduled servicing to Babcock’s emergency service helicopter fleet, which carries out lifesaving evacuations and responds to critical incidents across approximately 44,000 square kilometres, from the top of Cape York to the borders of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Aerial services are a critical part of the medical response across indigenous communities in the Torres Strait due to the restricted movement of vehicles between the hundreds of islands within the archipelago. A helicopter is often the only means to transport a sick patient to hospital.
The successful applicant will work on two new multi-mission Leonardo AW139 helicopters, which will join its fleet later this year, offering increased speed, range, and operational capability to the region.
The apprenticeship will create a pathway to long-term employment in the Torres Strait as well as opportunities for career progression throughout Babcock’s extensive aviation operations.
Babcock is Australia’s largest aeromedical service provider. It proudly delivers emergency medical, law enforcement and search and rescue aviation capability services for customers including, Queensland Health, Australian Border Force, the State Rescue Helicopter Service in South Australia, and Ambulance Victoria.
In 2023, Babcock safely transferred 446 patients within the Torres Strait and to and from mainland Australia on behalf of Queensland Health.
“It is critically important that we provide a 24/7 response for the people of the Torres Strait, and we do this in service of creating a safe and secure world, and the delivery of world-class patient care,” Babcock Australasia’s Managing Director of Aviation & Critical Services, Duncan Milne said.
“Local knowledge can be invaluable in an emergency, so we are looking for an apprentice who is inherently invested in their local community; someone who knows the area, the climate and the conditions, who can support our operations.
“Babcock has been part of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula community for more than 27 years now and we are committed to creating genuine opportunities that can bring social and economic uplift. This opportunity will help retain local talent for the betterment of the community, rather than them having to move to the mainland to pursue their career.”
The apprenticeship, which can lead to a formal qualification as a Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer following the successful completion of a Diploma of Aeroskills (Avionics) or a Diploma of Aeroskills (Mechanical), will offer a combination of on-the-job training and TAFE-based theory work.
The recruitment drive follows the success Stephen Boyd, a Ngurupai local who joined Babcock nine years ago via a similar apprenticeship opportunity.
“It’s hard to live up here without a service like this,” Mr Boyd said. “A helicopter can be the difference between life and death.
“Being able to learn about each aircraft has been great and the people around me are always supportive and knowledgeable. The team has 150 years of combined experience in avionics and mechanical engineering, so there’s always someone to point you in the right direction.”
Babcock operates 18 helicopters from eight bases across Australia, utilising the expertise of 500-plus aviation staff. In the past 18 months it has secured more than $750 million worth of contracts supporting the safe and timely delivery of emergency services.
Applications for the apprenticeship are now open.