Aviation! This may sound foreign to many learners from previously disadvantaged communities. However, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is on a mission to change this and make aviation accessible to these children, who wouldn’t hesitate, then, to consider a career in this field.
On Friday 22 September SACAA, in partnership with the Beautiful Gate, organised an Aviation Youth Show for hundreds of high-school learners from Philippi and surrounding areas to lure them into the career.
The show was attended by learners from Grades 10 to 12.
Paballo Makgato, Aviation Development Stakeholder Relations Officer at SACAA, described the initiative as a means to interact with the community and empower young people.
She said they aim to showcase some career opportunities in the aviation industry. The industry is one of the most lucrative and is responsible for the regulation and management of air crafts and air space within the South African borders.
Makgato added that prospective learners required pure Mathematics and Physical Science subjects. “When talking about Civil Aviation many people think of being a pilot only. Now we are here to tell them we have various departments within the industry. Besides being a pilot, they can be an aircraft maintenance engineer, aeronautical engineer, air traffic controller, cabin-crew member, and so on.”
The event is part of a nationwide drive to recruit learners, particularly black learners, she pointed out.
Makgato said that the industry was still “white-dominated”. “We want to change the narrative that people have about the industry. We need more black people to come on board. That is why we are going out to the so-called disadvantaged communities like rural areas and townships, informing young people about the career opportunities at SACAA. There is a shortage of black people in the industry.” she stated.
Kwanele Solombela, a commercial pilot at SACAA, described being a pilot as a job that required a lot of passion.
“To be a pilot you must be passionate about travelling because you’ll be working long hours,” he said. “You’ll spend more time away from your family and you must be a hard worker and physically fit.”
While mathematics and physical science are essential, a strong command of English is vital, according to Solombela.
He urged learners to use technology for self-empowerment, including searching for information that could assist them in making informed career choices.
Grade 10 learner Onele Mxonywa from Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga described the event as an eye-opener for him. He confessed he thought the industry was only about pilots.
Following the event Mxonywa expressed his desire to venture into the industry. “I can be a flight controller or anything besides being a pilot or maybe maintaining flights, and so on. All of those things I didn’t know about before.”
Mxonywa thanked the SACAA for the event. He said it assisted many learners.
Neliswa Nqiwa, a teacher at Nelson Mandela High School, praised the event organisers for a stunning job. She said it was important for the learners to be equipped with relevant information.