Cost Comparison of Technical Training School versus Unit Training Methods for Direct-Duty Airmen in Civil Engineering Air Force Specialty Codes

摘要

Seven Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC) in civil engineering are coded Category B for training. Thus 50% of all airmen entering each of these AFSCs attend technical training school, while the remaining airmen are sent direct-duty to their first assignment to be trained by the squadron. Air Force Engineering and Services Center (AFESC) believes that training airmen at the base level costs the Air Force money in the long run due to loss of productivity. First-term airmen were observed at three bases to determine if there was any significant difference in the proportion of productive time between technical school graduates and direct-duty airmen. Foremen and trainers were interviewed to determine training methods for the direct-duty airmen as well as any problems associated with either training method. The results of the research show that there is no significant difference between the proportions of productive times for the two training methods for years two, three, and four of the airmen's first term. There was a significant difference for airmen in their first year, with direct-duty airmen being more productive. The costs for each method were also obtained and compared. In each AFSC, the Air Force would have saved money if all airmen had been sent to technical training school.