The Nigerian Air Force tradesmen and non tradesmen is almost the same thing with the Nigerian Army tradesmen and non tradesmen. Why we said they are almost the same is because, the qualifications to apply for either of them is the the same. So now let’s go down to to main topic.
The Nigerian Air Force tradesmen and non tradesmen is are recruitment of the Nigerian Air Force for undergraduates. If you are a graduate and want to join the Nigerian Air Force, you can read our previous post on how to join the Nigerian Air Force as a graduate.
What we mean by undergraduates is candidates with SSCE certificate, NCE certificate or ND certificate. Now let’s explain their differences.
Difference Between Tradesmen and Non Tradesmen in the Nigerian Air Force
- The Nigerian Air Force tradesmen is for candidates that possess trade certificate for the trade they are applying for while the non tradesmen have SSCE certificate without trade certificate.
What this statement mean is that those that are applying as tradesmen have handwork which they are practicing in civil life before joining the Air Force. All they need to do is to obtain their trade certificate which they will present during registration and during state screening. They will be tasted on any trade they claim they have. Eg carpenters, drivers, mechanics and many others. While the non tradesmen only need to present their SSCE certificate and that’s all.
- The Nigerian Air Force tradesmen are always posted to non combat regiments while the non tradesmen are posted to combat regiments. What this statement mean is that the tradesmen are mostly deployed according to their trade which they joined the Air Force with.
For example, those that join the Air Force as mechanics are sent to the engineer department, those that are carpenters will be sent to workshop and so on. The non tradesmen will only be sent to regiment units like the Air Force special forces or other departments that does not deal with trade most times.
- The Nigerian Air Force tradesmen are promoted faster than the non tradesmen because of their trade test. Yes, this is where the Air Force tradesmen and non tradesmen is different from the Army tradesmen and non tradesmen. In the Nigerian Army, when the tradesmen and non tradesmen graduates from training, they graduate with the same rank which is Private Soldier and they both collect the same salary.
But in the Nigerian Air Force, it’s totally different. The tradesmen in Air Force graduates with the rank of Lance Corporal or Corporal depending on the trade test of the candidate while the non tradesmen graduates with the rank of Aircraftman which is the lowest rank in the Air Force. You can read about the ranks and symbols of the Nigerian Air Force to know more about their ranks.
- Lastly is the salary difference. Since the tradesmen graduate with the rank of Lance Corporal or Corporal while the non tradesmen graduate with the rank of Aircraftman, the tradesmen will be paid higher than the non tradesmen until the non tradesmen reach the same rank with the tradesmen. You can read about the Nigerian Air Force salary to see how much each rank earn in the Nigerian Air Force.
