Notam

He has a valid point. With the very notable exception of Rex, Australia’s largest airlines have taken an incremental approach to meeting their needs for a skilled aviation workforce in the years to come, shaped by short term thinking and short term financial returns (or lack of them!).

Pilot academies and apprenticeship schemes definitely require significant investments of time and money. But you get the sense that for too long the aviation industry has been reliant on the allure of flying and working in aviation to attract the nation’s best and brightest young people. And that allure is dulling. Not for all, of course, but for many.

Most likely if you are an Australian Aviation reader the attractions of aviation and flying are self evident to you.

But the barriers to entry to a career in aviation have never seemed higher, and the rewards and financial returns never lower. Aviation Aerospace/ Australia CEO Jim Carden’s opinion piece on our website on these issues elicited such a broad rang of responses from our readers that it was worth that we thought it worthwhile reproducing Jim’s original piece plus an edited selection of our readers’ comments on that issue.

It makes for illuminating, and sobering, reading. “It used to be different, now it’s just a job,” wrote one.

You wouldn’t necessarily expect me to agree with that sentiment, but it’s prevalent, and aviation’s key challenge is to stand out from not being “just another job”.

To that end, hat’s off to organisations like Aviation Aerospace/Australia, Aviation Australia and AMDA (organiser of the Avalon Airshow) for their respective efforts in highlighting the issues of skills shortages and the career opportunities available within this industry.

Another skills shortage

Speaking of skills shortages, this issue at Australian Aviation we farewell are shortest and longest standing employees.

Firstly, thank you to Jack Docherty and his six months with us as editorial director. We’ve learnt a lot from you Jack, enjoy the quieter pace of retirement.

We also say goodbye to Lee- Anne Holloway (nee Simm), who is a veteran of more than 20 years at Australian Aviation, first with Jim Thorn’s Aerospace Publications, and then as a fellow business partner in Phantom Media. Lee has had just about every non-editorial role at Australian Aviation you could imagine, and has been such a key part of the magazine’s success over a long period of time.

Thanks Lee for your enthusiasm and hard work.

One door closes. . . .

Finally, speaking of enthusiasm, hard work, and new opportunities, Australian Aviation is seeking an aviation writer to join our editorial team. Knowledge of and enthusiasm for aviation is our key prerequisite! See Newsdesk for more.