Sunday, June 26, 2011

TAMALE YOUTH SHOW INTEREST IN AVIATION INDUSTRY (PAGE 34, APRIL 26, 2011)

FOR several years, many young people in Tamale have limited their career choices to nursing, teaching, marketing, accounting, and other orthodox careers.
However, in the face of increasing graduate unemployment, many of them now believe it is time they ventured into other career areas.
Consequently, they have realised the need to acquire new skills and knowledge to enable them take up career opportunities presented by the 21st century world of industry.
The aviation industry happens to be one of the areas being considered by some of the youth and this explains why a number of them snatched the opportunity to attend a two-day orientation seminar on the aviation industry that took place at the Gariba Lodge in Tamale.
The seminar introduced the participants to the nature of the aviation industry and the career and training opportunities offered by the industry.
Kilo Alpha Aviation holdings, a company specialised in Aviation training, events management, air travel arrangements and airline safety, among others, organised the seminar as part of efforts to prepare the youth for opportunities in the aviation industry.
According to the Chairman of the company, Capt Victor Kwesi Amoah, the youth have certainly made the right choice exploring new opportunities, especially in the aviation sector.
He said the aviation industry was a lucrative business that is sustainable and more beneficial to the country than some other industries that the country had over-focused on.
Capt Amoah mentioned that the aviation industry was even poised for further growth for two main reasons: “first, there are no suitable alternatives to air transport and second, the increase in population growth means an increase in demand for airline services.”
“Airlines which hitherto operated only twice a week between Ghana and other countries, now operate daily and sometimes, twice a day,” he further noted.
Capt Amoah, who at one time was a pilot, but has widened his expertise to include other areas, including airline safety and quality management solutions, believes that many young people are either unaware of the opportunities in the airline industry or do not know how to get in there.
“If we are not careful, expatriates would take over the industry as it grows, to the disadvantage of our own citizens,” he cautioned.
Some of the youth who attended the orientation were certainly elated having had a rare opportunity to meet operators in the airline industry who gave them relevant insights into the operations of the industry.
“I have always had an interest in the airline industry, but I have never known how I could be employed in the industry. So, today’s orientation has been very beneficial,” a participant, Edmund Gyebi stated.
Another participant, Abdul-Mumin said he had been oriented sufficiently and motivated as well to venture into the aviation industry. “From now on, I am determined to pursue the various aviation courses because I know that is the key to open the door to the industry,”
According to Capt Amoah, the 21st century airline industry requires a certain calibre of employees who have the knack to champion the businesses of companies in the sector to a competitive advantage.
He therefore advised interested youth to seek the required training and update their skills and knowledge periodically.

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