The Future of Aeronautics: 360 Reskilling and Upskilling Approach

Abstract

In the last decade, industries and companies have been dealing with disruptive challenges due to the arrival of Industry 4.0 and market globalization. The COVID-19 pandemic was the last incentive bringing the new industrial revolution to the present moment, and consequently, accelerating transitions to the future of work [1]. In 2030, 375 million workers roughly 14% of the global workforce may need to switch occupational categories due to digitalization, automation and advances in artificial intelligence [2]. This will affect all markets and industries, with a huge impact on sectors, such as the aeronautical industry, specifically where the skills gap is increasing by retirement eligibility waves in the upcoming years. The solution to current and future challenges in the aeronautics sector lay down on shifting traditional learning and development into reskilling and upskilling [3]. Both approaches reflect an individual process of learning: reskilling as learning new skills so that an individual can do a different job and upskilling as a developing process of new skills to increase success in ones current job [3]. According to [1], 40% of workers will need a reskilling training of around six months and 94% of business leaders expect that their employees will upskill themselves on the job in the near future. Not only business micro-leaders are becoming aware of the importance of reskilling and upskilling the workforce, but also macro-leaders, for example, the European Commission, which launched in 2020 the Pact for Skills, a shared engagement model for skills development in Europe, which encourage all stakeholders to develop concrete commitment on reskilling and upskilling the workforce, especially in high-level industries, as the aeronautical sector. Although it is possible to identify an increased awareness about the importance of upskilling and reskilling, how the process can be done remains a question to answer. Among the literature, we cannot find consensus: some authors see it as a responsibility of the industries, others as a responsibility of educational institutes and some others as a responsibility of the workers themselves, to increase their employability. In the present paper, we aim to review each entity role, importance, and possible actions to take and develop a 360 Approach to Reskilling and Upskilling, informed by initiatives such as [4] applied to the aeronautics sector. We propose that the only way to successfully deal with the skills challenge is through the creation of an interconnected action, where the main entities join efforts, act coordinated with each other and take into account other pressing challenges, such as an ageing society/workforce. To upskilling and reskilling in large-scale industry, educational entities and providers, public policymakers and employees need to work in synergy [4]. In conclusion, the present paper aims to present guidelines to a sectorial framework in upskilling and reskilling and bring awareness about the benefits of a joined effort not only to single business growth but also to ensure the present and future prosperity of the Aeronautics in post-covid times. References [1] World Economic Forum, The Future of Jobs Report 2020, World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland (2020) [2] P. Illanes, S. Lund, M. Mourshed, S. Rutherford and M. Tyreman, Retraining and reskilling workers in the age of automation, McKinsey Global Institute (2018) [3] S. Chakma and N. Chaijinda, Importance of reskilling and upskilling the workforce, Interdisciplinary Sripatum Chonburi Journal (ISCJ), 6(2), 23-31 (2020) [4] European Commission, Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Schulz, C., Korte, W., Moghaddam, Y., et al., Skills for industry: upskilling and reskilling in the post-covid era: fostering new services and jobs creation: three scenarios for 2030: final report, Publications Office (2021), https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2826/59135