Human Capital Development

Gaining access to bursaries and scholarships is seen as the major obstacle for many students who do not have the financial means to either start or continue with their studies.

This situation is further exacerbated by particular barriers to entry experienced by recent graduates when attempting to find employment within the industry, which brings with it an additional need to introduce students to potential future employers whilst still undertaking their undergraduate studies.

This programme is therefore aimed at addressing these skills challenges experienced within the aerospace industry, with a particular emphasis on:

• Transformation and gender parity, and
• Providing access to financial support (bursaries and scholarships).

To achieve this aim, the NAC has actively partnered with the aerospace industry since 2006 to either source funding for, or to co-fund students; as well as to partner with industry via a talent pipeline and outreach programme that starts at high school level and involves experiential days, visits, job shadowing, internships, and industry competitions in order to improve the chances of graduates obtaining meaningful employment in the sector.

The NAC also sponsored and supported post graduate students in 2012, to design, develop and manufacture a mobile flight simulator as part of its outreach programme. This simulator has been in use for a decade now.