Abstract:

Context:
Understanding future skill needs is essential for shaping education and training policies in air transport, particularly as labour markets in this sector undergo dynamic transformation driven by economic and demographic changes, digitalisation and increased complexity.
In aviation, we deal with regulated and non-regulated international qualifications and occupations which must be very well correlated. Better graduate employability and mobility for occupational purposes in Europe require the implementation of recognition tools for building bridges between Higher Education and VET and further synergies between international qualifications regulations developed by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) with the European Qualification Framework and European Skills/Competences qualifications and Occupation (ESCO) tools.
In this context, we identified two main needs in terms of human resource training: the need for better qualified workforce especially with multidisciplinary competences, for example aviation-specific competences with IT or environmental skills, and the need for curricula modernisation simultaneously with the implementation of innovative approaches on education and trainings.

Research objectives:
The aim of our research is to identify new occupations in air transport and new qualifications and learning outcomes to be provided by study programmes for these occupations. The second objective is to propose better university-industry cooperation to ensure the match between occupations and qualifications, and coherent career and educational pathways for providing efficient and high-quality workforce in the air transport industry.
Our research will establish the main axes for a Sectorial Qualification Framework (SQF) Methodology in order to ensure a better match between occupations and qualifications and recognition of prior learning and work experience in aviation.

Methodology:
The research is conducted under the project “Knowledge Alliance in Air Transport”, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, with 28 partners from 11 countries.

Research method:
An analysis of European Commission and EASA regulations, European University Association, European Centre for Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and ICAO reports on qualification frameworks and occupations in air transport; development of two reports on occupations and on qualifications in air transport; a comparative analysis of the match between occupations and qualifications and wide consultation with stakeholders; in situ analysis based on interviews with stakeholders; a survey on airports needs in terms of occupations, employee qualifications and skills for the future airport for the next 10 years; the goal is to match the learning outcomes of study programmes with the airport workforce demand in terms of competences; development of a methodology on a SQF and recognition of prior learning and work experience in aviation.

Results and conclusions:
Our research will:
1. Contribute to the right matching of learning outcomes with skills and competences;
2. Define clear progression routes and recognition of prior learning and work experience in aviation;
3. Promote knowledge-transfer programmes and develop new study programmes;
4. Strengthen exchange channels between education and labour market through the European Network for Aviation Training and Education which will be created by the project.

Keywords:

Air transport, higher education, learning outcomes, qualification framework, university-business cooperation.