coffey signs major government training contracts in the middle east

Sunshine Coast organisations key to delivering one of the largest commercial aviation contracts in Australian history

3 November 2008

Sunshine Coast organisations are key to delivering one of the largest commercial aviation training contracts in Australia’s history.
Following an announcement earlier this year that Specialist Training Australia (STA), a subsidiary of Coffey International Limited, had signed agreements to provide aviation training worth in excess of $100 million to a Middle Eastern client, STA has now confirmed the client is the Saudi Arabian National Guard.
Roger Olds, managing director of Coffey International Limited, said: “We invested in the Gulf States’ market four years ago and it is wonderful to be able to deliver this training in Australia, with the support of local service providers. We had to compete against international competition that had previous relationships, but we won this on the quality of our team and a desire for the client to develop Australian relationships.”

Local small business Becker Helicopter Services, with support from KBR, will provide basic pilot training for over 100 helicopter pilots, and the University of the Sunshine Coast will provide English language training, as part of a contract for STA.

STA Program Manager Gavin Lawrence said that it was in no small part a testimony to the vision of Mike and Jan Becker, owners of Becker Helicopter Services, that STA was about to launch into the delivery of the training.

“Mike and Jan have truly helped to place the Sunshine Coast on the international map for helicopter training.”

Appreciation for help in winning and delivering the contract is also extended to a number of other people and organisations:

• The Mayor and Councillors of Sunshine Coast Regional Council
• Julie Swain, Principal Regional Development Officer, Department of Tourism, Regional Development & Industry
• KBR
• University of the Sunshine Coast.

Gavin also said that the students would be living, working and spending in the local community.

“The flow-on effects to the local community are immeasurable. I trust that the people of the Sunshine Coast will embrace this opportunity and take the chance to share this fantastic area with the National Guardsmen and their families.”
In addition to the 100 pilots being trained at the Sunshine Coast, some 200 plus aircraft maintainers will be trained under contract at Queensland Government facilities in Brisbane.

In total, the aviation training is worth in excess of $100 million over five years, much of which will flow directly into the Queensland economy. The contract was won against international competition and is thought to be the largest contract of its type won by an Australian company.

The first students will commence training on the Sunshine Coast this week.
Media contact:

Diana Krause, Communications Manager, Coffey International Limited
P: (+61) (3) 9473 1300; M: (+61) 420 959 942; E: diana_krause@coffey.com

About STA

Specialist Training Australia (STA) is a project manager and provider of integrated training solutions for the defence, police and security sectors. We are entirely focussed on delivering our services to the Gulf countries and, in conjunction with our capability partners in Australia, provide customers with access to some of the best training, education and manpower development services that Australia has to offer.

Our scope of operations range from the conduct of detailed training needs analyses, the preparation of training proposals tailored to specific customer requirements and the implementation of complex training solutions and capability development for major projects; through to turnkey training systems and facilities management, on the job training and the provision of supervisory and specialist manpower for a wide range of operational and technical requirements.
STA utilises specialist experience and capability from Australia and works closely with our customers to diagnose, define and develop their requirements. We have significant experience in working directly with our customers to develop and deliver comprehensive and sophisticated contracted outcomes.

We have achieved this though the assembly, management and deployment of teams of Subject Matter Experts (SME), working both within and external to our customer facilities. We have also considerable experience of supporting our specialist operational and management teams though both our UAE and Australian based management capability.

STA is wholly Australian owned and is a subsidiary of Coffey International Limited.

About Coffey

Coffey International Limited (ASX:COF) has been operating for nearly 50 years, and is part of the S&P ASX 300. We have a range of specialist businesses working in the social and physical infrastructure markets, and collectively, we aim to achieve our vision: to be global specialists solving emerging challenges to improve the lives of communities.

Around the world, we are providing services at every stage of the infrastructure lifecycle – starting with planning and financing the project, through development and resolving the technical challenges to the management of resources, timelines and budgets. The cycle continues as we use our specialist knowledge to ensure objectives continue to be met in the long term and infrastructure is appropriately maintained.
Our work involves a wide a range of built assets – like roads, buildings, gas pipelines, mines, and sporting facilities – just about everything that is required to meet the demands of a growing world population, rapid urbanisation and heightened environmental sustainability awareness.

Through our expertise, we are also enabling government and aid agencies to strengthen local communities, increasing quality of life and living standards. We develop mechanisms and manage projects across a range of social infrastructure, including economic development, education and training and health.

We have over 4,200 people working on projects in more than 80 countries and permanent offices throughout Oceania, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. Our plans are to continue expanding our specialist businesses through organic, transformational and acquisition growth.

Visit coffey.com for more information.