FOCA
GCAA
A DAY OF CONCRETE DIALOGUE
Hosted at Next‑AT’s headquarters in Mendrisio, the event welcomed organizations from Spain and Italy, including Aviation Group, ITS Mobilità Sostenibile of Catania, Fondazione Luigi Clerici, ITI “G. Fauser”, as well as maintenance companies such as Alidaunia, Elifriulia, RUAG, and Lufthansa Technik.
The event format was practical and dialogue‑driven, featuring short partner presentations, a thematic panel, and extensive networking sessions to explore opportunities for collaboration.
SHARED CHALLENGES ACROSS THE SECTOR
Discussions highlighted a common landscape:
- shortage of qualified personnel;
- difficulties in retaining technicians;
- limited awareness of career opportunities among young people;
- training programs not evolving at the same pace as technology;
- limited dialogue between schools and companies;
- lack of personnel across the entire aeronautical supply chain.
FROM SHARING TO OPPORTUNITIES
The event fostered the emergence of potential initiatives such as:
- collaborations among training institutions;
- joint career‑orientation activities for new generations;
- exchange of expertise on certifications and teaching methodologies;
- development of pilot projects for new training models.
“Our goal was not to sell, but to create a space for real dialogue,” said Fabrizio Ferrera, Managing Director of Next‑AT. “Only through collaboration can we address the changes facing our sector.”
THE FOCUS ON NEW GENERATIONS
The generational gap was a recurring theme throughout the day. Despite the sector’s opportunities—stable careers, advanced technology, and competitive salaries—Generation Z struggles to approach aeronautical maintenance, partly due to the sector’s low visibility and training programs that are not sufficiently people‑centered.
“It’s not enough to teach technical skills,” emphasized Brigida Morsellino, Head of ITS Mobilità Sostenibile of Catania. “We must help young people understand who they can become and why this work matters.”
TOWARDS A COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM
The event marks the beginning of a shared journey that could lead to:
- working groups on training, recruiting, and educational innovation;
- sharing of data and research;
- joint pilot projects.
The day concluded with a dinner at the Sacro Monte of Varese, providing an informal opportunity to strengthen new relationships.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
We thank all the companies and institutions that took part in the event and dedicated time, energy, and interest to this important topic. The quality of the dialogue and the willingness to actively contribute to the sector’s development made this day particularly valuable.
It is thanks to everyone’s contribution that we can continue to build, together, the future of aeronautical training. “Moving from competition to collaboration is both possible and necessary,” Ferrera concluded.
