Rome, March 28th 2024 –  On Thursday, March 21st, the panel Future Aviation Workforce and new skills for a transformative future, moderated by Veronika Takacs from Deep Blue and organised by Engage 2, took place during the event “Future skies: tomorrow’s voices” at Airspace World, in Geneva.

The panel was composed by prominent speakers, including Sharon Cooke, CEO of Airways International and Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland. They discussed the necessary skill sets for meeting the demands of the future aviation sector. Diana Kelly, the Chief Human Resources Officer at NAV CANADA, Thomas Romig, the Vice President at Airports Council International (ACI) World and Ann Persson Grivas, CEO of Luftfartsverket (LFV) led discussions on potential career paths and identified the skills necessary to bridge the gap between the current and future workforce.

The session highlighted the importance of developing skills with agility to keep up with the ever-changing aviation industry. Participants highlighted the increasing importance of soft skills, especially in customer service, and the need to align skill sets with technological advancements.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a paradigm shift in workforce expectations, requiring a recalibration of recruitment and selection strategies. Initiatives are underway to redefine required competencies more frequently. The emphasis is on attracting passionate individuals who embody the evolving ethos of the aviation industry.

To attract young talents, the panel emphasised the need to use innovative platforms like TikTok for employer branding and engage with high school students to cultivate interest in aviation careers. Additionally, accommodating the evolving expectations of the workforce, such as offering customisable work environments and facilitating opportunities like sabbaticals, emerged as crucial strategies to appeal to the younger demographic.
The panel recommended fostering collaboration between industries and educational institutions to ensure a pipeline of skilled professionals. They suggested enhancing mentorship programs, supporting industry-backed master theses, and strengthening links between academia and industry. This should even extend to high school level partnerships.