To BCom or not to BCom? The Da Vinci Institute developed the BCom(Business Management) Customised for the Pilot Profession with Status Aviation as a core component to the PRO-PILOT package as we believe that success in aviation depends on more than just stick and rudder skills. To be a successful pilot you need to develop a certain persona in a management leadership domain that is associated with responsibility, confidence, strength of character and unflappability in the face of extreme pressure. Our viewpoint is thus to develop the individual that will achieve success as a pilot rather than teaching someone to fly an aircraft. This required us to challenge the status quo, namely, that the only vocational training for the pilot profession is flight training. Key reference is made here to the term ‘develop’ as you cannot forcefully teach someone to be a pilot you can merely create a situation where the trainee is focussed on developing him/herself. As the old adage goes “you can teach a monkey to fly but you can’t teach anyone to be a pilot”. Aviation is a strange industry in that it can be a one of the most relaxing hobbies on the one hand while on the other it can be one of the most responsible jobs. This poses a unique threat to those that want to work towards becoming professional pilots in that they train and gain their experience amongst those that enjoy a hobby in the “general aviation” sphere and then somehow you have to make a jump to the more serious “commercial/airline operations”. The problem with this is that it is very easy to lose focus of the goal if you are not set to a path that will lead you there. The introduction of the multi-crew pilot license concept recognised that we have too many of the wrong pilots and highlighted the need for this focus on becoming an airline pilot. The PRO-PILOT package is exactly that, focus. It combines the expertise of various market leaders in aviation training to provide a programme that ultimately gives the student the needed flight training and ratings combined with the business knowledge to be well prepared for a successful career in aviation in general and more specifically as an airline pilot. Status Aviation built the PRO-PILOT package on the basis of three dimensions to development, namely; conceptual, application, and practical. If we take a closer look at the educational component of the PRO-PILOT package, the BCom(Business Management) Customised to the Pilot Profession, we see how this qualification demonstrates how a conceptual dimension of core modules that seek, not only, to develop an understanding of business and the management thereof, but also of the management of one self within the marketplace. The core modules are made relevant to aviation by use of aviation related case studies and projects that are applied to the aviation workplace. The fundamental aviation modules together with simulator training and the exit level integration assignments, make up the application dimension. The practical layer is covered by the flight training affiliates through their respective Commercial Pilot’s License training courses. The advanced type ratings such as the C208, B1900, ATR and Boeing 737-800NG also fall within the practical layer. The Da Vinci BCom(Business Management) degree was selected as the preferred framework on which to build the educational component of the PRO-PILOT package because of their mode of learning, innovative culture and accreditation. The Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997. The BCom(Business Management) Degree is accredited with the Council for Higher Education (CHE). With the foundation and value integrity of the qualification assured by the components of the TIPS™ modules, which ensure 50% of the academic requirements, The Da Vinci Institute for Management of Technology is in a position to customise the remaining 50% of any of their qualifications to meet their clients’ needs. It is based on this ability to customise qualifications that The Da Vinci Institute, in association with Status Aviation, is now able to offer the BCom(Business Management) Customised for the Pilot Profession. The practical dimension of the training is offered by the flight training affiliates, currently Flight Training Services and Durban Aviation Centre. These affiliates hold valid ATO licenses with sound track records at the Civil Aviation Authority and were selected based on criteria that include amongst others: - A training culture centred around Standard Operating Procedures, - Airline involvement, - Focus on training professional pilots, - Integrity and transparency of operations. The main aim of the BCom(Business Management) Customised for the Pilot Profession is therefore not to act as a shortcut for pilots to gain credits through recognition or prior learning but rather to be the backbone of a career focussed programme for aspiring professional pilots. The ability to recognise prior learning is a privilege that has been extended to learners in all fields. Pilots are even more fortunate as the currency requirements implemented by the CAA makes it easier to recognise the learning achieved. Recognition of prior learning is the process by which the outcomes of pervious learning experiences of an applicant are compared with the outcomes of the qualification for which an application is made. This experience can be in the form of practical work experience or theoretical knowledge gained from studying at another institution. As can be expected, the basis for assessment of recognition of prior learning should, in theory, be the same as for any assessment and therefore the following principles apply: • Assessment and all aspects thereof must be credible. • The evidence must be of satisfactory quality. • Module outcomes must be achieved for the relevant modules as well as for the qualification as a whole. • The use of various methods and instruments should be implemented. • The assessment must be moderated and quality assured. It would be unfair to expect the outcomes of the past learning experiences to align 100% with those of the current modules for which an application is made. This is due to the fact that few learners ever achieve a score of 100% for these modules in the ‘normal’ process of studying. There is, thus, no distinction between the credibility of a degree attained by way of recognition of prior learning and one attained through the normal method of studying. That said, the current trend is that the majority of students are Recognition of Prior Learning students, mostly due to the fact that the demand for this qualification has been present yet unanswered for a long period of time. Previous attempts at meeting this demand were unsuccessful due to the mode of learning that did not suit the pilot lifestyle. A pilot cannot be expected to attend class on a daily basis as this deters progress in hours flown and also prevents the pilot from accepting contract work during the early stages of being a commercial pilot. Status Aviation shares the viewpoint that students should enter “the feeder” as soon as possible in order to gain seniority in an airline at an early age. The PRO-PILOT package can accommodate entry by a student from as early as Grade 10-Grade 12. This has led to numerous meetings with schools where the aim is to introduce the students to flight training from the age of 16. The implementation of this will take time as yet again it requires a change in the status quo. Leadership at the schools, who often know very little about aviation, seem to find it difficult to grasp that a youngster can successfully complete a pilot’s license and the importance of the fact that these young aviators should start early. The issue of funding is also apparent as few parents can afford to pay the cost of flight training, especially when it is presented to them in a format where the costs of needed type ratings are shown from the onset. Nonetheless, the ultimate goal remains to set the PRO-PILOT package as a career focused programme that optimises the resources available to aspiring young pilots starting at an early age. Employers, especially airlines, seem to agree that the addition of a business management qualification improves the value that a pilot is able to add by enabling the pilot to perform multiple functions within the airline. They are especially interested in the offer by Da Vinci and Status Aviation to apply the third year application modules to their specific airline operations which will create even greater incentive for airlines to support cadets and current pilots to further their studies. Status Aviation remains committed to highlight the importance of further qualifications to employers in order to establish the advantage for its current and future students.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 06:42:10 +0000
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