Solutions Suggested
Considering these challenges, what viable solutions can be put forward to help? What can the industry do collectively and individually to ensure our sector continues to succeed? I am sure all of us have opinions on the matter. I am convinced that, collectively, we can find workable and long-term solutions. I submit the funding crisis should be viewed as a pan-industry issue, one that will need the support, active participation, and contribution from the top of the industry. One plausible idea could be that larger operators such as Air Methods, Metro Aviation, Bristow, ERA, and PHI could jointly fund a scholarship/grant/loan program specifically dedicated to providing career loans to qualifying students.
In
effect, they could very well be supporting the development of their respective future employees. Companies such as Goldman Sachs support small businesses by helping them grow and investing in the future
of what could be their customers, and helicopter companies could do the same. Pan-industry cooperation at this level would directly and meaningfully combat the attraction of the fixed-wing industry and help drive the engine of flight training schools by attracting new students who would stay in the domestic market.
Attraction and retention solutions all center around making our industry more enticing to come to and good enough to stay. Fostering strong company cultures is vitally important to individual companies. It cannot just be a buzzword; the results need to be both meaningful and tangible, because research has proven that employees are far more likely to stay if the culture is right. Freer movement of pilots around the industry and viable career pipelines are also essential. We should have more vertical integration for continued promotion
of good pilots between organizations at different levels rather than a fractured traditional “tier” system. These career pipelines are beneficial to all. On the one hand, the flight schools would have a bigger sales pitch to potential students by offering a viable and structured way for applicants to get paid back on their original investment and earn good wages in a defined time. On the other hand, commercial organizations would have a filtered and measurable constant supply of quality pilots. Culture and retention are also aided by creating a “family” atmosphere through the pipeline, whereby employees earn long-term loyalty as they progress up the training and career chain. Indeed, we are working with a partner on such a scheme right now that we both regard as a win-win scenario.
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