The Universality of Communication: Preparing the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals

Patti J. Clark, Doreen M. McGunagle, Laura Zizka

Research output: Contribution to conferencePresentation

Abstract

Current aviation college programs aim to prepare the next generation of aviation professionals to meet the needs of the ever-increasing global demand for air travel. Previous literature has identified gaps in competencies that employers noted in young graduates. This study attempts to narrow that gap by focusing on the curriculum of the top 20 aviation programs in the U.S. to compare the curriculum to the skills employers cited to assess whether the courses offered in the current programs reflect the actual needs of the aviation workplace. From a survey of Aerospace and Defense (A&D) employers, ten skills were cited: Team player, negotiation skills, verbal/written/oral communication skills, problem solving, decision making, assertiveness, proactivity, and self-motivation. The skills are not job-specific and are universal, but most often are associated with business studies programs. Nonetheless, four of the top five skills from the A&D employers survey were communication centered skills. In a content analysis of the courses offered at the top 20 U.S. aviation programs, the number of communication courses ranged from zero to 14, with an overall average of 4.7 classes within the program. Business management programs presented a range of one to 29 communication courses, with an average of 12.5 classes in the course catalogue. Despite rigorous training in job-specific competencies, there is a lack of business acumen in young aviation professional graduates. By enrolling in many of the current programs, the students risk entering the workplace today without the necessary business based communication skills sought by the global aviation industry

Original languageAmerican English
StatePublished - Mar 3 2020

Keywords

  • aviation programs
  • STEM education
  • aviation professionals
  • communication

Disciplines

  • Aviation and Space Education
  • Business Administration, Management, and Operations
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

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