Instruments for Career Development in the Air Transport Industry

The complex and continuously increasing air transport sector is very dynamic, being directly influenced by societal changes such as demographic aspects, globalization, urbanisation, digitalisation, climate change and even the current Covid-19 global crisis. Moreover, the new digital technologies applied in aviation require the evolution of current jobs competences and consequently the skills of graduates in order to practice the new occupations. Some transversal skills and soft skills allowing to evolve in this new digital world become crucial. After studying ICAO and EC documents on qualifications and focus groups with stakeholders, the first conclusion is that we are confronted with a strong growth in recruitment needs, in many cases for new occupations and a lack of competent profiles, especially for interdisciplinary ones. For supporting the employment in air transport, the carrier development and professional orientation, we propose some instruments: 2 methodologies development within a European project and on-line platforms offering information on jobs and qualifications in aviation. We will highlight the role of the developed methodologies, that of regulation, to generate minimum criteria, standards and recognition procedures and, thus, to be used as support by all stakeholders. For people to know what skills will be necessary for future occupations, they need to know where to get it from and how to use it. Here comes the communication as a key element; one of the solutions to find the jobs best suited to professional expectations and at the same time to reduce the gap between employers’ expectations regarding the skills and knowledge or skills of graduates is to use professional orientation platforms as faithful to the professional challenges of twenty-first century. Long-term communication, guidance and connection between education, training providers and employers will be sustained through a European network for aviation education and training (ENATE).