Aviation constantly looks for sources of inspiration to grow the number of pilots. For example, we often cite the success of Harley-Davidson, which hopes to cultivate the next generation of motorcyclists by marketing to women. Those efforts appear to be paying off. An article in Women Riders Now asserts that the motorcycle manufacturer says it has 62 percent of the female market, making it the top-selling motorcycle brand among women in the United States.
It turns out that other industries are looking to aviation for inspiration. At least one other industry is, at any rate.
“There are so many similarities between aviation and trucking,” said Ellen Voe, president and CEO of Women in Trucking, writing for FleetOwner. “Both industries have a need for operators (pilots or drivers), mechanics, dispatchers, and both groups are anticipating a severe shortage of personnel due to an aging demographic and regulatory changes.”
Voe commended the aviation industry for not “waiting around to recruit these students any longer.” She cited industry and public school partnerships that the trucking industry should emulate, including summer camps for high school students that focus on flying and aviation career topics, as well as public school aviation programs throughout the United States.
“Maybe it’s time for the trucking industry to bring simulators into high schools and middle schools,” and to invite youngsters into terminals, truck stops, and weigh stations to learn about careers in transportation, Voe concluded.
Jill W. Tallman is editor of Flight School Business.
