The Italian Air Force Department in Loreto has maintained compliance with the UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 standard for language training and certification. The audit was conducted by engineers Umberto Candelora (team leader) and Maurizio Bianchi from the Italian Naval Register (RINA), based in Ancona, and covered the overall language teaching and assessment activities carried out by the Entity in 2012.
The verification team, assisted by SLEAM staff from the 1st Course Command, considered all significant processes of the Department, which is daily engaged in conducting foreign language courses and assessing linguistic knowledge, using both face-to-face and blended e-learning methods. These flexible teaching methods ensure constant attention to efficiency/effectiveness in their educational offering, which for 2012 can be summarised as follows: approximately 1,000 trainees trained, 1,700 linguistic assessments carried out, both on-site and off-site, over 26,000 hours of teaching delivered and 45,000 hours of connections to the SLEAM e-learning platform.
The quality certification is therefore renewed for the next three years and is complemented by the further ENAC (National Civil Aviation Authority) certification, which recognises SLEAM as an Aviation English Testing Centre for administering the test and certifying English language proficiency according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards, the specific UN agency that has promoted the safety and development of civil aviation worldwide since 1944.
The educational offering of SLEAM, primarily represented by the teaching of the English language, is aimed at meeting the linguistic training needs of Air Force personnel in the specific sector of Aviation English and in that of other operational specialities, such as the Military Operational English (MOE) course for Forward Air Controllers (FAC). This is for those military personnel who require specialised and in-depth English language proficiency as they perform coordination functions in Close Air Support activities for ground forces. In addition to these specific aims of SLEAM’s mission, there are also Italian language courses for foreign military personnel, also delivered in face-to-face and e-learning modes, as well as English language courses for other Armed Forces and State Departments.
