In an effort to ameliorate the current workforce shortage in the aviation industry, the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) is urging the government and private sector to establish more apprenticeship opportunities to attract talent. The organization noted that while the urgent requirement for more pilots is well known, other areas such as aircraft maintenance, air traffic control, and ground and flight operations have positions to fill as the UK faces a demographic cliff edge as baby boomers retire.
BBGA plans to work closely with the UK’s CAA to steer a path toward training for a global industry. Presenting recently at a "Tomorrow’s Workforce" event, the association, which represents more than 180 UK business and general aviation companies, noted that its first priority is to align with Aviation Strategy 2050 and help quantify what the country’s workforce will require over the next three decades.
With support from the European Business Aviation Association and its Expanding Horizons initiative, BBGA advocates for dedicated aviation centers of excellence throughout the UK, offering aviation services pathways where trainees would receive high-quality, in-house training with assured work placements when they are ready.
It pointed to a program established by Stansted Airport College, which in just its second year has enrolled 429 full-time trainees and 52 apprentices.