Human Resources
Human Resource Capacity-building Initiatives for International Civil Aviation
Human Resources Capacity-building Initiatives for International Civil Aviation
Within the overall objective of developing talent for the next generation of international civil aviation professionals, capacity-building and outreach initiatives were undertaken during 2014 aimed at attracting young candidates from a diverse geographic background to ICAO.
Human Resources Development Fund
In response to a request from the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the Council established, in September, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) for the civil aviation sector in Africa. This is a proactive initiative in support of human capacity development in civil aviation. The objective of the HRDF is to provide a mechanism which will allow for the collection and use of voluntary contributions from States and others to develop opportunities for HR capacity building in civil aviation in African states. This will assist States in the region to better meet the human resources needs required for operational efficiency and continuous implementation of ICAO’s SARPs and other programme activities. The voluntary contributions made to the HRDF will be used to finance secondments or internships of African professionals working in the civil aviation sector to ICAO Headquarters or its Regional Offices in order to upgrade their knowledge, skills and expertise. This exposure will subsequently enable them to contribute more expertly to the overall human capacity in aviation on return to their home countries. In addition, the internships offered to young and emerging African aviation professionals will foster the development of the next generation of professionals required to meet the business needs for civil aviation in Africa. Subject to receipt of voluntary contributions, the first intake of African secondments and/or internships to ICAO is expected to take place in 2016.
Young Aviation Professionals Programme
The tripartite Young Aviation Professionals Programme, established by ICAO in 2013 in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI), continued to attract qualified candidates of a high calibre from all Member States. The two inaugural candidates who completed the programme in 2014 contributed to ICAO’s work programmes relating to aviation safety and economic development of air transport, while enhancing their overall knowledge and experience in international civil aviation, with a particular focus on the inter-relationships between the regulatory activities of ICAO and those of the airline and airport industries.
The experience gained with the two candidates selected in 2014 proved beneficial to the Organization, due to the meaningful contributions made by the selected candidates, as well as to the candidates themselves. The recruitment campaign for the second round of the Programme surpassed the success of the first year, drawing a higher number of applications. The high response to the call for applications is an indication of the growing interest in the Programme. For 2015, three talented aviation professionals were selected, representing three different geographic regions.
International Aviation Women’s Association
With regard to gender, ICAO continued its partnership with the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA) in the promotion and development of women in aviation. Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between ICAO and IAWA which was signed in 2013, an aviation scholarship was granted to a female aviation professional in 2014. While with ICAO for a period of nine months, the scholarship recipient was able to augment her international experience in aviation by working on specific aspects of the ICAO air navigation work programme. The Organization will continue to offer aviation scholarships to professional women in aviation in order to attract women to the work of ICAO and to foster their overall development.
ICAO Internship Programme
The ICAO Internship Programme was updated in 2014 to clarify the qualifying conditions and selection process for internships, with the view to assisting ICAO in maximizing benefits obtained from qualified students who are motivated to contribute to international civil aviation. Through this updated framework, students from diverse academic backgrounds were able to acquire direct practical experience and exposure to the work of ICAO, through which they enhanced the theoretical knowledge they acquired during their studies. In addition, the ICAO Internship Programme was expanded through the establishment of partnerships with universities and academic institutions for the sustainable provision of interns to ICAO to meet organizational needs. These partnerships assist ICAO in raising awareness of global aviation issues among young talented students. With the experience gained, it is anticipated that students who complete an internship with ICAO are likely to be motivated to continue the pursuit of a career in aviation.
In all of the above capacity-building and outreach initiatives, ICAO serves as the platform through which young and talented professionals are given the opportunity to gain regulatory experience. Individuals who are selected to participate in these capacity-building programmes will constitute a pool of potential candidates from which ICAO and Member States, as well as the aviation industry, can draw to meet the emerging needs of the global aviation community.
