CATC produces its second batch of Diploma holders
The 2nd batch of students who successfully completed the “Diploma in Aviation Studies” programme conducted by the Civil Aviation Training Centre (CATC) were awarded their diploma at an award ceremony held on 11th July, 2013 at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel.
Chairman, Airport and Aviation Services ( Sri Lanka) Ltd. Mr. Prasanna J Wickramasuriya was the chief guest at the event. Vice Chairman AASL Mr. Kamal Ratwatte, Executive Director AASL Mr. Yohan Jayaratne, Divisional Heads of AASL and the parents of the awardees were also in attendance. The awardees comprised 11 gentlemen and 3 ladies.
Opening the ceremony, Eng. Athula Seneviratne, Head of Civil Aviation Training of AASL stated that this programme is the only qualification of its kind for the aviation industry awarded by a state institution at present.
Delivering the ceremonial oration, Chairman of AASL Mr. Prasanna Wickramasuriya gave an informative outline on how the local aviation industry developed centered around the Bandaranaike International Airport. He also spoke about the landmark project that commissioned the Mattala Rajapaksha International Airport ( MRIA) in Hambantota early this year and about the enormous challenges the Company faced in the process. He stated that challenges are opportunities in disguise.
Chief Instructor, Air Traffic Services of the CATC Mr. Kishanthat Nimalarathna who served as the Programme Manager for this intake presented the successful students to the chief guest.
The CATC is operated by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., which is a fully government owned company. This institution which was mainly focused on providing specialized training to company employees opened its courses for the general public in 2011.
The Diploma Programme was d eveloped at i ts Course Development Unit (CDU) in coherence with the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO)’s initiative “Next Generation of Aviation Professionals “( NGAP) which has predicted a worldwide shortage of aviation professionals in the near future. The prgramme consist of two courses, titled “Industrial Awareness Course” and “Industrial Alignment Course” each of approximately 3 months duration. Students must successfully complete both courses in order to earn the diploma. An industrial attachment is sandwiched between the two courses during which the students are attached to action stations of the aviation industry to get a first hand insight into airport and airline operations. An in-facility training is included at the end of the second course. The students must also complete a mini project during this training period. The programme contains extensive course work. It is a full time study programme. Total programme takes approximately 7 months. The entry requirements are G.C.E. Advanced Level and a credit pass in English at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level.
The CATC is an associate member of the TRAINAIR PLUS Programme of the ICAO. At present there are only 56 institutions worldwide who are members of this programme. This accreditation involves periodic review by the ICAO on the training development capabilities and the quality management system applicable to training delivery. Such stringent scrutiny is necessary due to the highly safety intensive nature of the aviation industry.
Presently the CATC delivers 30 courses in specialized fields such as Air Traffic Services, Electronics Engineering, Aeronautical Communication Operations, Aeronautical Informat i o n Services, Aviation Security, Fire & Rescue Services & Airport Management. In addition to its local target population the CATC also has had regular participation from the Republic of Maldives, Nepal and Nigeria in its programmes. It is fast emerging as a regional aviation training provider.
During 2012, the Company made heavy investments in developing the training capabilities of the CATC which are to be commissioned soon. These include new buildings, modernized classrooms, auditoria, an information resources centre and laboratories with state of the art simulator equipment.
The CATC plans to promote its specialized courses for overseas students. It also has plans to cater to the local non-aviation sector by introducing more courses of general nature.
The CATC is situated at Kandawala Road, Ratmalana close to the Colombo city airport, Ratmalana. More details about its programmes could be obtained by calling the Civil Aviation Training Centre on 2634763, by emailing catc@ airport. lk and by visiting www.airport.lk, the official website of Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd.