Page 7 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 Online Magazine

SPECIAL FEATURE MRO ASIA

more importantly, attractive career aviation as a career—and not just as a “The Singapore government is
advancement opportunities. pilot,” she said. The effort will start with committed to this,” she emphasized.
The value-added per worker in promoting aviation’s potential to young “We have to drive the synergies between
aerospace is relatively high at US$150,000 school children to gain their interest early industry, the product and the workforce.”
– 50 per cent higher than the national on, she said. Aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus
average, and this is reflected in the quality Singapore also plans to simplify estimated major expansion of operator
of jobs which tend to be skills intensive in education and training processes for fleets across the Asian region. While
terms of analytics, problem solving and engineers. The current standards “can Airbus forecast 39% of its ongoing sales
organisation. Moving forward, there will deter some students,” said Teo, who to 2033 will be in Asia, Boeing says
be increasing competition for such skilled added that the apprenticeship system may expanding fleets will demand 224,000 new
manpower. also be “optimized” to make access to technicians by the same date.
“Our aviation companies must certification easier and faster. “The supply of the right skills
therefore enhance their attractiveness as The last initiative is to prepare the [regionally] is not yet fully ready to fulfill
employers for Singaporeans. This country existing aviation engineering workforce to the aviation industry’s [future] needs,”
has a tradition of a large and competent be “skilled to meet the future,” Teo said. warns Indonesia-based GMF AeroAsia
local workforce, and today many of our “The aerospace sector is very spokesperson Mochamad Aviv.
aviation-based courses at institutes of important to us in Singapore,” she added. Aviv says his company, the MRO
further education are oversubscribed,” Teo emphasized that the Singapore subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, has had
she said. government is looking, through a specially to develop a recruitment strategy that
Teo said the government will pursue convened committee, at ways it can work meets immediate industry demands, yet
a three-pronged approach to help the with unions, industry, and government at the same time prepares for projected
aviation industry mitigate the problem. agencies to ensure a stable, skilled expansion.
“First we will promote awareness of workforce.
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