Australia’s size and its distance from the rest of the world have always been the reasons that make the Aerospace & Aviation (AA) sector become one of the national priorities in our country. Having the third oldest airline in the world (narrowly beaten by KLM Royal Dutch and Avianca), Qantas and its significant contribution to the global aerospace and aviation industry including the popular invention ‘black box flight recorder’ has always been an icon for respected standards and management framework.
According to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee, in 2017, the Aviation sector carried over 60 million domestic passengers and there were over 1 million tonnes of international scheduled air freight traffic. The industry also employed more than 88,000 people across 4 main subsectors: Domestic Commercial Aviation, International Commercial Aviation, General Aviation, Air-freight Transport, and Aviation Support Infrastructure.
Regards to the aerospace industry, Australia Trade and Investment Commission also confirmed the industry has around 830 firms that together employ 14,000 people. Some of the significant businesses are Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Jetstar, Quantas, and Virgin.
Some main subsectors in aerospace?
Main activities within an aerospace organisation are usually divided into 4 sectors:
- The manufacture of commercial and military aircraft
- The maintenance and repair of existing aircraft-related hardware
- Research and development
- Training and business services.
During the last decade, the Australian Aerospace and Aviation industry is particularly outstanding when it comes to the manufacturing of sophisticated components and the development and supply of systems engineering and avionics. There are also significant achievements that come from software design, engineering, and air system integrations.
Where do people in this sector work?
As a global industry, it could be said that we working in aerospace are all over the world! Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin are estimated to employ 120,000 people each worldwide, so the range of your possible work locations is enormous.
If you are a graduate in the aerospace field, you can envision yourself working as an engineer in a professional office or on the tarmac of an airport performing flight checks.
Entering the AA
A quick look around different websites in the sector, it could be easily seen that a large number of roles will require you to have a STEM background, whether it is engineering or statistical modeling. Although it is true that not all parts of the aerospace require technical skills, such as management, training or business, a STEM degree will be likely to set you apart from other applicants.
There are many different pathways into big companies, the most common ones are graduate training programs or internships. For direct entry, it is more likely you will be required significant professional experience. Although recruiters are looking for graduates with technical abilities and solid math-based background, transferable skills are also highly valued. Attention to details, the ability to look from different perspectives, or good communication skills are the common desirables.
Career prospects
In a recent study published on IBISWorld, within 20 years the Asia Pacific region alone will require 13,000 new aircraft, this number will be tripled, 39,000 when it comes to the global demand. It is predicted that Australia will benefit from these demands. As a graduate in the AA field, it is not surprising to say that you are entering an industry of innovation and constant growth which will take you wherever you want.
Source:
https://nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au/industries/transport/aviation