Workforce Development from the Other Side Continued from page 21 of our membership, to describe their needs, because there truly have been some generational shifts and they were able to share some of that in the panel discussion,” Waguespack said. “This generation of job-seekers isn’t necessarily driven by needing astronomical pay, as an example. “They’ll tell you that they’re more interested in quality of life and work-life balance. And, they want to see paths to upward mobility: ‘I’ll start here, but what’s “This generation of job- seekers isn’t necessarily driven by needing astronomical pay, as an example. “They’ll tell you that they’re more interested in quality of life and work-life balance.” next?’ Business aviation can be great avenues on both fronts, but it’s important for our members who are hir- ing and recruiting to understand those motivations. The leaders in our member companies today have grown in the aviation business through the hard knocks – it was a hard crawl to get where I am – and this younger genera- tion is just as motivated, but now there are opportuni- ties all over the place. So, it’s a learning curve for us, too. We have to figure this out because it is and is going to continue to be a real competition to attract this next generation.” Tristan Anderson is currently a senior, finishing up his Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, FL, and also working on completing his pilot training. His trip to the Aviation Business Conference was his first visit to Washington, D.C., his first time meeting a Senator—he spent some time with freshman 22 Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) during the trip, and, his first time even learning of the existence of many NATA mem- ber companies. “In school I really hadn’t learned about opportuni- ties in business aviation, because a lot of the focus is on the commercial airlines, and probably the single biggest surprise of my trip was discovering that there are literally thousands of member companies in NATA and many of them are looking to hire,” Anderson said. “The majority of the companies I was exposed to at the NATA confer- ence are hiring, and I collected so many business cards. I’d never been to anything like that before.” Anderson, who currently works as a technician in the Embry-Riddle Repair Station as he finishes college and pilot training, said he’s trying to keep his priorities straight as he looks towards the next steps in his career. “My priority is not just to get a job, but also find a place where I’d be happy to work for a long time,” said Anderson. “I want opportunities where I can move up and grow within a company over a long period of time. My generation has gotten a bad rap, but I would say to anyone hiring or recruiting, don’t discard or dismiss us. We aren’t lazy. We dream big, and we’re willing to work hard for it.” Chris Rozansky, Executive Director of Naples Airport Authority in Naples, FL, and a new member of the NATA Board of Directors as of June 2019, said he was intrigued by the opportunity to sponsor Anderson’s trip to the conference. “At Naples Airport Authority, we’re first and foremost a public entity, and then we’re also an FBO operator,” Rozansky said. “Part of our strategic plan includes a goal that we’re going to help equip future leaders coming into our industry. We saw the opportunity offered by NATA to sponsor a student and our first thought was: ‘Well, there’s some low-lying fruit!’ Tristan, the student we sponsored, really enjoyed it. The most impactful thing he said to me was, ‘Before this conference I didn’t know 80 percent of these companies even existed. It was so eye- opening.’ And it was eye-opening for me, too. It’s a good reminder that we have got to work harder to get out in front of these young people.” Aviation Business Journal | Fall 2019
