Nurturing tomorrow's aeronautics professionals
The aeronautics industry plays a key role in social and technological development, yet it has suffered a downturn since the 2008 financial crisis. For the sector to thrive, it requires long-term nurturing of suitable talent. Funded by the EU, the project ' FLY HIGHER - Shaping the new evolving generation of aeronautic professionals' aimed to make aeronautics an attractive proposition by developing strategies to attract, motivate and encourage young people to join the field of aeronautics. To help achieve this, the project fostered dialogue among the research community, industry and schools. Specifically, it delivered various edutainment activities aimed at young people, teachers and career counsellors. These include Science Cafés for teachers and counsellors, drawing, photography, essay and trivia competitions, virtual events, and field trips to airports and air museums. The project implemented a tailored programme of activities entitled 'Dream it, Explore it, Learn it and Get it!'. 'Dream it! Get it!' aimed to give children and youth the opportunity to engage in fun activities about aeronautics. 'Dream it! Learn it!' was intended to provide teachers with tools such as career kits and aeronautics career profiles. It also provided support to career advisors, enabling them to emphasise the importance of and interest in aeronautics careers. Five science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) tutorials were designed for classroom use and made available in Dutch, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. 'Dream it! Explore it!' was designed to provide counsellors and career advisors with access to new vocational orientation tools and practices. The goal is to explore future career paths in aeronautics and tackle constraints in teaching STEM subjects. By raising the interest of young Europeans, FLY HIGHER encouraged them to embrace aeronautics. The project expects to play a part in shaping tomorrow's key players in the aeronautics industry, from air traffic controllers to cockpit design engineers.