In both the UK and US, the aging workforce and lack of engineering students is expected to cause a significant skills shortage for the aviation industry during the next decade. If aviation companies can’t hire and / or develop the number of engineers they need, their ability to grow and compete in the international market will be stifled.
Here, we will give an overview of the current challenges for Aviation training, then we will look at some of the leading aviation elearning, traditional training and blended learning companies within the industry.
Aviation Training Challenges
One way organisations in the aviation industry could deal with the shortage of skilled workers is by setting up their own training programmes and using innovative marketing to attract students. Virgin Atlantic is a great example of an airline that has developed their own engineering training programme with great success.
Another important training area in the aviation industry is that of health and safety training. On the job accidents can be very costly because they cause lost productive time, medical expenses and possibly legal fees and fines. Health and safety training is the best measure against workplace accidents. Furthermore, the research part of an EU funded project has indicated that health & safety in the workplace has a significant effect on the competitiveness of an organisation.
The airline industry is one of the most regulated in the world. To meet regulatory requirements that help keep personnel and clients safe, health and safety training is essential.
Providing in-house training has a lot of benefits, but it does entail serious challenges.
Training Costs
Providing training is not cheap. Developing high quality training programs requires a significant investment of both time and money. This investment won’t realise any benefits in the short term. In the long term however, you can expect a significant ROI on your in-house training.
Using elearning can help with keeping training costs down. For most aviation industry courses, it will be more cost-effective to organise large parts of the training through online modules. These online training modules are easier to deliver to students all around the globe without the need for trainers or training facilities. They can also be updated much faster and allow students to study at their own pace at any time and from anywhere they want.
Providing high quality training is not an easy task
Developing a training programme that meets all training requirements and is cost-effective is not easy. To improve your chances of developing a highly successful training programme it’s a good idea to work with an experienced or specialist aviation industry training provider.
We’ve listed a number of accomplished aviation training providers below.
Leading UK Aviation Industry Training Provider – Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic offers several aviation industry training courses and programmes at their training centre in Crawley, West Sussex. Training topics include:
- Engineering training and apprenticeships on several popular aircraft models.
- Customer service training.
- Cabin safety training.
They also organise pilot training programmes to fill their own aircraft pilot needs.
For more information about Virgin Atlantic’s training programs, go to:
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/eu/en/footer/about-us/training.html.
US Aviation Industry Training Provider – IATA
The International Air Transport Association is a trade association that represents about 84% of all air traffic. The organisation has training centres throughout the world, including in Miami, Florida.
Public courses are organised every month at their training centres on a variety of topics. The IATA also offer in-company training at a location of your choice if you have more than 5 people that need to attend the same training. Courses can be customised to your needs.
eLearning courses are also available that can be accessed from home or at one of the many authorised partner locations.
Have a look at http://www.iata.org/training/Pages/index.aspx for more information about IATA training programs.
eLearning Consultancy from Learning Light
Are you looking to start your journey in elearning or enhance your existing processes, technologies or content?
Learning Light have decades of combined experience in supporting organisations of all sizes and across many industries. Please give us a call on +44 (0)114 307 2357 for a no-obligations discussion of your requirements.
eLearning Content Development – CM Group
Developing custom eLearning content can help your organisation tackle the training needs that cannot be met with existing off-the-shelf courses.
CM Group is an eLearning consultancy that prides itself on deliver custom eLearning content that includes the latest developments in instructional design, contains interactive (multimedia) elements, works on all types of internet devices and is fully SCORM compliant.
Find out more about CM Group’s content development services at:
http://www.cm-group.co.uk/services/elearning-content-creation/.
Online course provider – CAE
CAE is a global training solutions provider that offers a wide range of eLearning training courses for the aviation industry. Courses are available for the following subject areas:
- Pilot training
- Maintenance technical training
- Personal and professional development
Find out more about CAE online aviation industry courses at http://www.caelearning.com.
Aviation Industry LMS Provider – ATMS (Advanced Training Management System) by AQT Solutions
AQT has developed an LMS that is specifically designed to meet the learning needs of any organisation operating in the aviation industry. Their ATMS learning management system includes features such as:
- Curriculum development tools.
- SCORM compliant eLearning.
- Full, individual training history.
- Scheduling and resource management.
More information about the ATMS LMS can be found at:
http://www.aqtsolutions.com/training-management-systems/atms/.
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Av Srivastava
eLearning Marketing Consultant
About Av
Av Srivastava is an elearning writer and marketing consultant who has worked with a range of learning solution providers in the UK and worldwide.
He researches and writes about the latest and best elearning solutions to help buyers choose the ideal company for their needs.
He also helps great elearning companies to understand their perfect customers, get the visibility they deserve, and develop steady streams of inbound enquiries.