How important is training in the aviation & travel industries?

This is an era of ‘continuous improvement’. The mantra is to Invest in yourself, get trained, get certified, and stay ahead! A qualified and competent workforce is the key to success as we prepare for the ‘new normal’! This applies to both, individuals, and organizations, alike.

How important is training in the aviation & travel industries?

It is critical! “Learning never exhausts the mind” is a popular quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. In current times, training is essential to right-skill the post-pandemic aviation workforce.

Over the past few weeks, the aviation and travel industries saw unpleasant disruptions at various touchpoints across the travel chain, from reservations to check-in, through baggage control, to technical, to operations, – all mostly caused due to the lack of readily available trained & certified personnel at various positions. The dynamic aviation, airports, travel & hospitality industries cannot easily employ non-skilled persons. A certain skill set and standard certified training are required to perform the complex tasks that run their processes and functions.

Skill-based, short-term training and development programs are essential to the success of all individuals & businesses. Not only do these affordable training programs offer opportunities for staff to strengthen their existing skills and enhance performance by learning new skills, but also help employers to increase employee productivity & reduce employee turnover.

In the current fast-evolving post-pandemic phase, we require essential & regular training upgrades for our previously gained knowledge, experience & skills, even though we like to assume that we know ‘everything’ and there is nothing more to learn. Re-skill yourself to ensure you are the chosen one for the upcoming new role or promotion within the organization or to get better opportunities elsewhere! Sometimes one simply needs to be appropriately up-skilled to retain their existing jobs, be it in operations, commercial departments, safety, security, above the wings, below the wings, cockpit crew, other flying crew, dangerous goods,.. the list is endless…..

One needs to up-skill & re-skill for various reasons, some of which are addressed below:

Training for New Responsibilities

“That’s how we’ve always done it”. This sentence more or less sums up one of the main barriers for improvement in aviation training today. In many instances like itinerary & journey pricing, ticketing, and reservations, the processes are now mostly simplified, making it imperative to un-learn and re-learn the new simpler stuff and appropriately guide your clients. The pandemic has highlighted the requirement for cross-skilling. Teams must be cross-trained to perform multiple tasks & understand other roles. Employees must prepare for additional and different responsibilities. A whole new level of service standards must be developed to ensure that the teams are equipped and aware of what their clients will experience and what they must expect at every touch point in the journey process. We must help our clients to best prepare themselves for any journey in this ‘new normal’ world. It has become essential for a front-line reservations & ticketing professional to learn how the airport functions and how airlines work, so he can best serve his clients with holistic and wholesome information and advice. Similarly, an airport passenger ground services personnel must have some knowledge pertaining to how a travel agent functions or how the airport ramp side functions. Gaining these cross-skills will stand them in good stead for career progression and enhance their service levels, displaying benefits for both, the individual & the organization.

Learning About Industry and Technology Updates

The Aviation and hospitality industry including but not limited to airlines, airports, travel agencies & hotels has experienced a huge surge in technology and automation in every process. Staff must be trained and re-skilled to stay up to date on these constant changes and upgrades in the industry. Training brings about standardization in understanding processes, which is crucial for aviation, hospitality, airports & travel. All stakeholders in similar roles must have the same consistent knowledge for seamless communication & smooth performance. All airlines and mostly the low-cost carriers, want faster turnaround times with lesser ground time, to increase hours of daily aircraft utilization. For this, they require highly trained and qualified personnel to perform their tasks efficiently and smartly. All this can mostly be achieved with consistent training and up-skilling. The pandemic had already forced many airlines and other companies in the value chain, like ground service providers, to assess what overall skills their employees possessed to adapt to new operational requirements. A case in point was the need to load cargo in cabins of passenger aircraft repurposed to carry cargo only.

Adapting to Remote Work

Timely re-skilling & up-skilling will greatly help to understand and optimize these new processes while aiding the transition.

Updating New Employee Training

New employees must receive training as part of the onboarding process. Teams should un-learn & re-learn considering that the work environment is evolving at a faster pace than ever before. What you did in your earlier job function cannot necessarily be applied in the new role. Some up-skilling will surely help.

Addressing Performance Reviews

Training and development programs help employees identify & build on their strengths and address any deficiencies that may be noticed during the regular internal appraisal process. Continuous Learning is the key to fast career growth. This also helps confidence levels and individuals can work under less supervision and create opportunities for leadership roles.

Developing Soft Skills

Consistent learning should be undertaken to strengthen the soft skills that are essential in adapting to changes at work and in society. This builds resilience and agility in professional settings and can create an atmosphere that fosters productivity and performance. It’s now not only about IQ & EQ but SQ & AQ also play important roles. I would also add SQ (Spiritual Quotient). New training material and updated curriculum address all these aspects which will greatly help personnel working in customer-facing interactive roles, like cabin crew, airport ground services staff, hotel & travel agency front-line staff, etc.

Avoid Burnout

Training and development programs can also help prevent burnout in employees who have mastered initial tasks. Burnout is more prevalent in the fast-paced customer-facing, shift-based, high-pressure exciting work environment. In this aviation and airport environment, regular training and up-skilling provide opportunities for growth and can rejuvenate staff by providing a new outlook on their work.

Essentials for Organizations

Regular and relevant training has proved to improve corporate company culture increases employee morale & in turn increase productivity by plugging any skill gaps. Lesser supervision is required in an efficient and competent workforce. Organizations that focus on training & development programs, attract & retain top talent by providing clear career paths and growth opportunities.

It’s a Virtual World out there!

During & post-pandemic we saw the evolution of e-learning and virtual Instructor Training, as we moved from classic classroom theory/workshop practice kind of training sessions to the study mode where we can learn from the comfort of our homes. Most aviation & travel industry training courses are now available as convenient and affordable virtual options.

Fulfil your ambitions and get trained to work at one of the Travel Industry’s most exciting positions at any Airline, Travel Agency or Airport. Up-skill and re-skill yourself for better employment opportunities with our world-class internationally recognized IATA Certificate and Diploma Courses.

WingsWay Training Institute is privileged to represent the International Air Transport Association (IATA – Canada) as its Authorized Training Center.

IATA has developed industry-leading training material to forge a strong restart for the Aviation and travel industry, to equip you with the new skills needed to meet the challenges in aviation’s revamped processes. The airline and travel job market is growing faster than ever before and you must stand out from the crowd. Aviation opens a world of possibilities and employers across the world prefer IATA Training Certificates and diplomas. Every year, over 100,000 learners register for our courses. We are ISO9001 certified, ACCET accredited, and have more than 40 years of experience at the heart of the industry. Our extensive training portfolio includes topics for airlines, airports, travel agents, cargo operators, governments, airport ground service providers, young learners looking at new career options, working professionals and more.

Add Wings to your career & say ‘Hello’ to your better future, Now!

WingsWay Value-Adds

• 2 Guaranteed International Airport Internships in UAE, with Internship Certificates from the Airport
• Internships at Travel Agencies & Cargo/Freight Forwarding Agencies
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• Updated Learning Material
• Practical Training on a real Boeing 737 Aircraft, in the Hangar. Designed by our industry-expert Trainers, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and aviation Quality/Safety Specialist, it provides access to the Cockpit including a walk-around of the undercarriage, inside the Landing Gear compartment and cargo-hold areas.
• 1 Course 4 Certificates
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• WingsWay Training Institute offers various Training Solutions and courses for multiple skills & professions, covering:

Aviation | Travel | Tourism | Airports | Airlines | Cargo | Freight | Procurement | Logistics | Supply Chain | Project Management | Finance | Corporate Training | & more.

Why WingsWay!

• Internationally recognized Certificates and diplomas
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• Modern Classrooms with upgraded facilities & convenient locations
• Trainers are experienced & qualified with industry-specific work experience
• Focus on Exam Preparation with an Excellent passing record
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Contact our Training Solutions Specialist for your free consultation and demonstration sessions. Visit us at: www.wingsway.org