Among the factors driving our always-changing business aviation landscape are the troubling projections forecasting a significant shortage of skilled workers to lead the industry in the years ahead.
We’ve all seen the data, and we know what it tells us. In a nutshell, we will need hundreds of thousands of aviation professionals, with a diversity of skill sets, in the aviation workforce of tomorrow. Of equal concern, a series of bottlenecks – including financial and cultural barriers, limited access to information and other hurdles – are impeding the workforce growth required to meet the coming demand.
Clearly, a unified investment in a highly trained and dedicated workforce is an imperative for the industry. NBAA is working on several levels, in Washington and beyond, to help identify innovative ways for making meaningful progress on job growth.
For example, this past July, Jo Damato, CAM, NBAA’s senior vice president of education, training and workforce development, testified before a key House aviation subcommittee hearing focused on the workforce challenge. Specifically, she pointed to important provisions contained in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that are aimed at lowering barriers to aviation careers, improving training standards and expanding the workforce pipeline.
“NBAA is working on several levels, in Washington and beyond, to help identify innovative ways for making meaningful progress on job growth.”
The FAA bill’s provisions, developed in part with NBAA’s guidance, set forth a roadmap for talent development. A host of initiatives would raise awareness and engagement with young people, increase access to career information, create a national strategic workforce development plan, provide financial support for training and education, and meaningfully address factors that negatively impact recruitment and retention of women and other underrepresented groups.
Of course, NBAA’s work to foster the development of future business aviation leaders goes beyond legislative advocacy to include support for your own flight operation. This year, the association rolled out a fully updated Management Guide, NBAA’s highly popular resource for helping flight department leaders develop a culture of career growth and inclusion for professionals at any stage of their careers. Similarly, this Management Issue of Business Aviation Insider offers insights from experts about ways managers can attract and retain promising new talent.
From the halls of Congress to the hallways of your workplace, you can count on NBAA to continue supporting innovative ways to address the workforce challenge. After all, a redoubled focus on having a large, qualified and diverse cohort of future industry leaders is not only good for our industry; it’s essential to ensure that our nation remains the world’s leader in aviation.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.