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Presentation
The Universality of Communication: Preparing the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals
National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)
  • Patti J. Clark, Ph.D., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Doreen M. McGunagle, Ph.D., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Laura Zizka, Ph.D., ÉCOLE HÔTELIÈRE DE LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
Presenter Email
clark092@erau.edu
Location
Mori Hosseini Student Union Events Center (Bldg #610) – Rooms 165 B/C
Start Date
3-3-2020 9:30 AM
End Date
3-3-2020 10:45 AM
Submission Type
Presentation
Keywords
  • aviation programs,
  • STEM education,
  • aviation professionals,
  • communication
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

Citation Information
Patti J. Clark, Doreen M. McGunagle and Laura Zizka. "The Universality of Communication: Preparing the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals" (2020)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/doreen-mcgunagle/9/