Guidant Global looks to lift talent acquisition for the aviation industry

Time for change in the aviation industry 

The key takeaway from the event was that the aviation sector organisations need to evolve if they are to overcome the skills shortages and avoid falling behind. Some of the main suggestions were:

Thinking outside the box in entry qualifications.

Currently many roles are asking for a degree and 5 years' experience in the sector. This is having a few negative impacts. Firstly, it means that anyone who is motivated and capable but is unable to go to university for any reason is automatically ruled out. Most affected candidates would be:   

• Those who don’t want to go to university due to the prohibitive costs involved and a lack of external support.

• Those from more deprived backgrounds without the grades needed for competitive places due to a lack of support in their place of education or who needed to work in their spare time to help support themselves. 

• Parents/carers who can’t stop full-time work to get a degree. 

Creating training programmes that are on the job ‘earning while learning,’ accepting vocational qualifications, or considering transferable skills from other industries would open up new pools of talent at all levels. These pools of talent would also provide new perspectives from different walks of life, with ideas perhaps not learnt in a traditional academic environment. 

Boosting EVP and making aviation exciting again.

Aviation was once considered and exciting, futuristic, and dare I say sexy industry to work in. In the 70’s and 80’s as new tech such as Concord was launched, planes were a luxury to enjoy and those building, maintaining, and flying them were seen as cutting edge. 

Now, many people see aviation and flying as more of a transport sector – getting people and items from A to B, with no real changes or developments in the last decade. Many people even avoid flying where they can and lament its environmental impact.  

The aviation sector needs to market itself as a sector with developments on the horizon and an industry to aspire to. For example, in 2021 the global aviation industry declared that it would achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Getting engineers excited about being part of this change by showing how this might occur is one way of doing this. Showing how aviation can be a ‘force for good’ is another – it's use in rescue and relief efforts, keeping the world connected and even the military.  

Increasing inclusivity and equality.

A key area covered at the event was the lack of inclusion for people with disabilities. Disabled individuals are frequently negatively affected by unequal job prospects, restricted access, and a lack of sufficient support within the aviation sector.  

Becoming a part of initiatives such as Equal Skies is one way of opening up the industry. The Equal Skies charter calls on all aviation sector members to sign-up to a set of principles and behaviours that promote inclusion for people with disabilities. In addition to creating a new talent pool, this also helps the aviation industry make their services more disability friendly, improving customer experience with this new outlook. 

Get the next generation of aviation workers motivated young.

Children and young people in education are not just offered math's and science as standard. It is often mandatory. It is also often set out in very theoretical formats and is not shown in ‘real life’ or the world of work. 

Demonstrating how maths and science can be used in the aviation sector – engineering, maintenance, and ground-based jobs such as air traffic control – can encourage the next generation of aviation workers a decade in advance, futureproofing the industry. 

Form partnerships to keep workers in the sector, even if it’s not in their business.

People are working more jobs these days than they used to – the days of staying in the same company for decades are nearly gone.  

A recent poll discovered that those aged 25-34 have, on average, already worked in six different roles. The aviation industry needs to accept this, and work to ensure that if younger workers are going to change jobs, they don’t leave the aviation sector entirely.  
 
Organisations can form partnerships to enable workers to change careers within the aviation sector. Even if it means an organisation loses a worker in the short term, it at least means that they are potentially a returning employee in the future should a new opportunity arise. 

"The future of aviation depends on innovation, inclusion, and inspiration,” states Chris Blackburn, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility & STEM Ambassador at Impellam Group. 

“We need to rethink how we recruit, retain, and empower our talent to meet the challenges and opportunities of a changing world." 

Andrew Morris, Client Solutions Director at Carbon60, who attended the event agrees.  

"Aviation is more than a job, it's a passion. We need to foster that passion from an early age and show how maths and science can lead to a wide range of exciting careers in aviation at all levels, both in the air and on the ground." 

Aviation has the power to connect, inspire, and transform. The industry needs to attract and retain talent that shares the vision and values it holds and create a culture of inclusion and collaboration across the sector. 

Talent acquisition for aviation with Guidant Global 

If you are looking for a forward-thinking workforce management solution within the aviation industry, get in touch with our team for more information about our bespoke services. 

Drive to one of these case studies? 

https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/customer-success-stories/heathrow/ 

https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/customer-success-stories/beating-talent-scarcity-in-aviation---guidant-globals-apprenticeship-scheme/