Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals (2021) / Chapter Skim
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S E C T I O N I Introduction and Motivation The guidebook is based on a year's worth of research into the current and future workforce needs of the airport industry; present-day offerings of a spectrum of academic institutions; gaps and challenges that exist between what academic programs offer and what the industry needs to keep up with workforce demands; and best practices existing in academia today. The study involved extensive review of current aviation and academic literature; examination of academic program curricula at universities and colleges nationwide; and the conduct of surveys and focus groups in which more than 100 airport industry professionals, academic faculty, students, and alumni now in the airport sector participated.
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3 The challenge of airports in the United States to recruit professionals with the skills, education, and experience necessary is significant. The current airport environment has evolved rapidly since the beginning of the 21st century.
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4 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals programs that currently offer degree programs specifically in airports to others with no aviation course content whatsoever. Any academic institution has the potential to contribute to the airport industry through even minor enhancements to its curricula.
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Introduction 5 contributes to educational strategies, how these programs are meeting the needs of the industry, and how these programs may be enhanced. Chapter 4: Enhancing Academic Programming.
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6 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals guidance for each academic topic of interest, including business and finance, engineering and planning, and operations. The guidebook identifies strategies applicable to participating in the enhancement of academic programming for those in industry, ranging from upper management at an airport looking to enhance its workforce from a strategic perspective, to entry-level and junior management professionals who wish to share their new industry experience with their potential future colleagues, to those in airport professional service firms, such as engineering, planning, or management consulting.
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7 C H A P T E R 2 The airport environment is constantly evolving in response to the global demands associated with business and personal air travel. Given the ever-changing landscape, airports must react to advancements in technology, evolving passenger-experience preferences, and changing business models.
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8 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals Other trends that have implications for the airport workforce include the rapid emergence of new technologies, increased financial and commercial pressures, political sensitivities, new regulatory requirements, challenges recruiting in local job markets, and a growing shortage of skilled trade workers (ICF 2018)
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Motivation: Addressing the Needs of the Airport Workforce 9 Creating More and Broader Opportunities for Recent Graduates Limited Entry-Level Opportunities for Recent Graduates The airport industry provides promising career opportunities; however, there are currently a limited number of avenues by which recent graduates can enter these fields. A review of job postings from general Internet sources (such as indeed.com as well as the American Association of Airport Executives Career Center website)
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10 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals • Airport Operations: Ensures everything is in place on airfield and airside environments for safe and efficient flight operation. Example job titles include Airfield Operations Specialist and Ground Services Manager.
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Motivation: Addressing the Needs of the Airport Workforce 11 Airport professionals perceive a lack of adequate internship opportunities. A limited number of airports have established programs, while others are in the process of developing them.
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12 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals Technological Skills The airport industry is experiencing fundamental shifts due to advances in technology, resulting in the need for new skills that previously did not exist (Wensveen 2017)
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Motivation: Addressing the Needs of the Airport Workforce 13 • Public Policy • Airport Engineering • Geographic Systems (GIS) • Airport Finance Survey respondents reported that many of these skill areas are not frequently covered in their programs, or not covered in a standalone, airport-related course.
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14 Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals Summary of Data and Findings There are many instances in which coordination and communication between academic institutions and the airport industry is limited or lacking. As a result, a disconnect exists between the industry workforce needs and the education that academic programs currently provide.
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