“Future Aviation Skills Strategy,” conducted independently by Connected Places Catapult, has been published today by the Department. You can read it in full here. We encourage you to study this and consider its recommendations. 

The report outlines the current skills and training standards in the aviation sector, to see how it can adapt to new and emerging technologies. It then attempts to anticipate the skills that the aviation workforce will need in the future, as the sector adapts to decarbonisation, the growth of automation, and future flight technology. Finally, the report recommends actions that Government and Industry could take in order to help the sector prepare for the future skills challenges it will face.

While we consider how the issues highlighted in the report will inform the Government’s approach going forward, we will continue work already underway to anticipate future aviation skills challenges, including supporting the Jet Zero Strategy and working with fellow members of the Global Aviation Skills Taskforce, a coalition of states and industry aiming to shape the future of global skills development through sharing of best practice and data. 

The research provides evidence to support the ‘Generation Aviation’ programme, which aims to support industry to build an aviation workforce fit for the future. Knowing what skills and jobs the future aviation workforce will need is essential to this, so this report will help us support the work of Generation Aviation and widen its impact. We encourage you to share this research with your own networks and stakeholders. 

We hope we can continue to work together, to ensure that the aviation workforce is equipped to deal with the challenges the future may hold.

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Aviation Skills Team, Safety, Sponsorship, Skills and General Aviation Division, Aviation Directorate, Department for Transport
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