This year’s first quarter Breakfast Business Meeting revolved around Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative’s, ASRTI’s manpower development solution for Aviation.
The key discussion behind the meet was training manpower to take over from the aging ones still available and succession planning to ensure the industry endures.
Speakers included Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, former Rector, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria; Engr. Benedict Adeyileka, former Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and Air Commodore (rtd)Ademola Onitiju, President, ASRTI.
A 13-point communiqué released recently, showcased ASRTI’s manpower development solution to some teething challenges the industry faces.
- Skills Development for Aviation: Encourage adaptive skills acquisition, ensuring employees deliver quality customer experiences, enhancing Nigeria’s aviation industry.
- Local Content Development: Establish Aviation Local Content Development Board, collaborate for compliance with expatriate quotas, addressing recruitment challenges in the sector.
- Safety and Compliance: Urgently review merging Licensing Directorate with Flight Operations for safety conformity, aligning with global best practices.
- Youth Resourcing in Aviation: Recruit young professionals with proper education and training to address unemployment and manpower gaps across aviation sectors.
- Aviation Professional Diaspora: View the exodus of professionals as an expansion of Nigeria’s diasporan net worth rather than total depletion.
- Aviation Training Affordability: Address the high cost of ab-initio training by establishing scholarship schemes for young people in the industry.
- Personnel Training and Gap Mitigation: Declare emergency in training airport fire personnel, address impending retirements in air traffic controllers and engineers.
- Flight Dispatchers Importance: Recognize the significance of flight dispatchers for safe flight operations, ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Capacity Expansion at NCAT: Prioritize expanding NCAT’s capacity for diversified professional training and job placements.
- Certification and Training Domestication: Expedite NCAT simulator certification for domestic training, enhancing income generation and crew training accessibility.
- Safety Collaboration: Enhance safety through closer collaboration between NCAA and Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
- Industry Expert Consultation: Engage retired professionals for consultation and training roles, developing the next generation of industry professionals.
- Aviation Education Efficiency: Merge African Aviation and Aerospace University with Nigeria College of Aviation Technology for cost-saving and improved education delivery.
The recommendations aim to enhance aviation safety, local content, training affordability, and industry collaboration for sustainable growth and development.
A cross-section of guests attended, including Dr. Harold Demuren, Mr. Roland Iyayi, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu, Mr. Yinka Folami, and others. Represented were organizations like NCAA, NCAT, NSIB, among others.
