Professional development

AAA is also a member of the government-approved skills service organisation Australian Industry Skills Limited’s Aviation Industry Reference Committee, which is responsible for the development and review of the Aviation Industry Nationally Endorsed Training Package. In early August, AAA attended the Aviation Industry Reference Committee meeting held in Melbourne, and had the opportunity to provide direct feedback on behalf of members which we hope will lead to improvements in training outcomes across the aviation industry.

With an education manager dedicated to developing education and training services and relationships, we have actively engaged with, and are seeking to expand our relationships with, a number of higher education facilities to enable a pathway for university qualifications that are tailored to meet our local needs.

AAA members have identified that there are a number of educational support services that the association can assist with including training system reviews, the conduct of training needs analysis and skills gap identification, professional development and auditing services to support AAA member training needs, with the AAA acknowledging the constrained budgets of some members.

In an exciting new development to support our members and to fill the gaps in the current education and training framework, the AAA is releasing a suite of online training products to cater for daily operational needs and to build upon the current approaches taken in the industry. The three courses will be airside safety, wildlife hazard management, and aerodrome reporting officer/works safety officer refresher training, with subjects including safety management, airside driving, and tools for AROs and WSOs. Training products are scheduled for release as part of the AAA National Conference to be held in Canberra from November 21-25.

The AAA has focused on developing online education and training products to ensure that all airports can readily access quality, practical and effective training. One of the primary challenges facing many of our regional airports is affordable access to training and education resources. By providing quality online training resources we can significantly reduce the costs associated with travel and time away from work, often associated with in-person training. The new range of products can be combined with practical training delivery to create a ‘blended learning’ process which combines theory-based online delivery with practical skills conduct to enable learners to apply the knowledge gained in a practical environment.

That being said, in any industry or workplace there are a range of skills and levels of knowledge that can’t be taught in a ‘classroom’, whether that be online or otherwise. The education system can provide the framework and core skills but it is in the workplace where those aspects are then further developed and this can only be done by ensuring that there is a process to pass those skills on.

AAA has recognised that our industry must do everything possible to retain these skill-sets and has developed the AAA Industry Mentoring Program. The program facilitates mentoring relationships where mentors can share advice, knowledge and experiences with mentees, resulting in a mutually beneficial professional development relationship.

AAA’s inaugural mentor program concluded in 2015 with notable feedback including the introduction to new networks and industry contacts, especially in specialist disciplines and professions, exposure to ‘seasoned’ perspectives on issues, specific help to determine career objectives and outcomes, and production of work outputs under mentor guidance, including an airport management plan, which was tabled to the mentee’s local aerodrome council.

AAA is currently midway through the 2016 mentor program and is looking to enhance and build upon the experiences for all participants in 2017.

A competent workforce is vitally important for the efficient and safe operation of our airports and to meet this the AAA is dedicated to supporting our members across a wide range of educational needs and services into the future. AAA wants to challenge the current status quo and see strong, versatile, and sustainable educational systems that ensure high standards and tangible learning outcomes to provide the industry with a highly qualified workforce. Watch this space.

For more information about AAA’s educational programs: www. airports. asn. au/public/education or speak with our education manager Andrew Goodlace: [email protected].

The AAA has focused on developing online education and training products.