{"id":12423,"date":"2018-04-04T00:00:02","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T16:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=12423"},"modified":"2021-10-18T12:43:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T04:43:31","slug":"aviation-education-labour-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2018\/04\/aviation-education-labour-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting on the flight path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hong Kong plays catch-up as lagging aviation education contributes to labour shortage<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Iris Yeung & Tommy Yuen<\/strong><\/p>\n

O<\/span><\/p>\n

n the July 31 2016, dozens of activists marched through the terminal building in Hong Kong\u2019s International Airport (HKIA) to oppose a HK$141.5 billion project to build a third runway and associ\u00adated facilities. They said the project would be a white elephant and cause untold environmental damage, in\u00adcluding threatening the survival of the Chinese white dolphin. But dissenting voices in the community failed to stop the project.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0three-runway system (3RS)<\/a> is scheduled for completion in 2024 and aircraft movements are set to in\u00adcrease from the 68 flights per hour on the current two-runway system to 102 flights per hour. Together with the expansion of Terminal 2 and other facilities, authorities predict an extra 50,000 extra staff will be required to perform various jobs in the expanded airport. However, even at its current scale, industry insiders say the airport is short-staffed and the cultivation of aviation talent has been under-devel\u00adoped for years.<\/p>\n

Law Cheung-kwok, the director of policy at the Aviation Policy and Research Centre<\/a> at the Chinese Univer\u00adsity of Hong Kong, says that aviation education in Hong Kong lags behind the rapid development of the sector, and it is too late to start filling the void. This despite the fact that the Basic Law<\/a> highlights the status of avia\u00adtion in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are only two \u2018centres\u2019 in the Basic Law that Hong Kong is posi\u00adtioned as, one is as a financial centre, the other is aviation. They are impor\u00adtant industries for Hong Kong\u2019s economic pro\u00adduction,\u201d says Law. \u201cIndeed, the financial industry is highly valued, but the attention paid to [Hong Kong\u2019s role as an] avia\u00adtion hub is relatively low.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Article 128 of the Ba\u00adsic Law, the Hong Kong government should maintain \u201cthe status of Hong Kong as a centre of international and regional aviation\u201d but Law points out the absence of an aviation school in any of the University Grants Com\u00admittee-funded universities in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this field is that important, we should have had it [general aviation education] long ago,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Some tertiary institutes have launched aviation courses in recent years. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University<\/a> established the Interdisci\u00adplinary Division of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering in 2016. It also offers degree programmes in avia\u00adtion management. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology<\/a> started offering a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2015 and Master\u2019s degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and International Air Transport Operations Management respectively in 2016.<\/p>\n

Other education institutes of\u00adfer self-financed higher diplomas or certificates courses. One example is the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKUSPACE)<\/a>which has offered a range of avia\u00adtion programmes since 2006. These include diploma courses in aviation management, ground services, air\u00adport operation and a certificate for the Australian Private Pilot License (PPL). There are over 1,000 total an\u00adnual enrolments.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Hong Kong International Aviation Academy (HKIAA) was established last year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last year, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)<\/a> established the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy (HKIAA)<\/a> which offers a range of day camps, beginners courses, certificate programmes with 12-month paid internships, professional short courses for existing industry person\u00adnel and academic courses such as a Master\u2019s degree and diploma and top-up degree courses. In all, the academy offered more than 177 courses in 2017 covering airport operations and man\u00adagement, air traffic control, aviation security and aviations services. The HKIAA says the offerings reached more than 5,500 participants last year.<\/p>\n

Lam Siu-ming, the senior pro\u00adgramme director of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at HKUS\u00adPACE sees the establishment of the HKIAA as a positive development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are comparatively slow [in aviation education], but at least we have started, I hope we can catch up,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Lam thinks aviation education was slow to get off the ground in Hong Kong in part because of its geographi\u00adcal location. The available air space limits the flying experience young people can have, and this is an intrac\u00adtable problem, particularly when it comes to the training of local pilots.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A simulated cockpit at the HKUSPACE aviation laboratory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lam says he has met many young people who dream of becoming pi\u00adlots. Over the past decade, 98 gradu\u00adates from HKUSPACE aviation pro\u00adgrammes have become airline pilots. But the college can only guide stu\u00addents through the syllabus of the private pilot\u2019s licence programme. In order to obtain a PPL, which is compulsory for a qualified pilot, stu\u00addents must undergo further training overseas at their own expense. With two more advanced qualifications re\u00adquired before one can become a com\u00admercial pilot, it costs a total of around HK$1 million to train to be a pilot.<\/p>\n

While few can afford the train\u00ading, Cadet Pilot Programmes (CPP) launched by local airlines do subsidise those with talent to realise their avia\u00adtion dreams. Currently, Cathay Pacific<\/a>, Cathay Dragon<\/a> and Hong Kong Airlines<\/a> organise such programmes. Those who make it through the tough rounds of theory and practical tests, are sponsored to undergo pilot train\u00ading in Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong Airlines launched their first CPP<\/a> in 2017. Of the more than 4,000 applicants, only 10 were selected. Lam thinks the stringent se\u00adlection methods and requirements are necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a passenger, you\u2019ll be fright\u00adened if the pilot is not up to standard. The industry would not ease the re\u00adquirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hong Kong Airlines cadet pilot Angela Yuen Yan-chi is training in New Zealand now
Photo Courtesy of Angela Yuen Yan-chi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Angela Yuen Yan-chi, 29, was one of the lucky few to join the first-batch of Hong Kong Airlines cadet pilots. She says only 7.5 per cent of the air\u00adline\u2019s 560 pilots are local. The per\u00adcentage will increase when the cadets complete their flight training but it will take years before the percentage rises significantly.<\/p>\n

There is a global shortage of ex\u00adperienced pilots but Yuen says the problem is particularly acute in Hong Kong because the territory is simply too small. \u201cThe airspace is not enough to share with neighbouring cities like Macau and Shenzhen,\u201d she says, add\u00ading that Shek Kong Airfield is the only place to carry out flight practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only runway available in Shek Kong Airfield makes the cost of flying expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Krizto Chan Ho-ying, a 27-year-old aviation enthusiast agrees that avi\u00adation education in Hong Kong is not widely affordable. Chan has applied for the cadet pilot programmes for Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Hong Kong Airlines but so far with\u00adout success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a luxury here, even for those of us who are so into it, we have to save money for years before we can have our first flight,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Over the years, Chan has invested a lot to prepare herself for the CPP as\u00adsessments. During her university years, she at\u00adtended courses at the Hong Kong Youth Aviation Acade\u00admy, a non-profit or\u00adganisation run by practising profes\u00adsionals in the aviation industry, which aims to help aspiring pilots fulfill their goals. She underwent flight training in New Zealand too and holds a private pilot licence. None of this guarantees a place in the local cadet pilot pro\u00adgrammes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be the top, you have to be very sharp, and you have to be lucky,\u201d says Chan.<\/p>\n

The shortage of aviation person\u00adnel is not limited to pilots. More avia\u00adtion courses have become available recently but the historical inadequacy of aviation education provision has exacerbated the manpower shortage problem in the industry as a whole.<\/p>\n

Cheung Shu-wang, chairman of the Staffs and Workers Union of Hong Kong Civil Airlines<\/a>, estimates there is currently a labour shortfall of 5,000 airport workers. While safety is not affected yet, services are.<\/p>\n

The most noticeable and imme\u00addiate impact is longer waiting times for luggage but Cheung says there is insufficient staff in many areas, in\u00adcluding parking aprons, check-in counters, bag\u00adgage reclaim, technicians, pi\u00adlots and man\u00adagers. Cheung says these short\u00adages will affect airport operations and service quality. For its part, the AAHK does not respond to the criti\u00adcism directly. But they say the use of technologies, such as the \u201cbaggage tagging robot\u201d and \u201ctrolley counting system\u201d can help improve operational efficiency.<\/p>\n

As to whether Cheung thinks the setting up of the HKIAA can help ease the problem, he is not so sure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think its efficiency and planning [in cultivating personnel] cannot really catch up with the growing demand for airport ground staff,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

While the new institute offers courses on a range of high-end skills, Cheung thinks the airport is in ur\u00adgent need of semi-skilled workers at the parking apron. He says the union will propose feasible policies to the AAHK.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Tam Man-ho, who served as a commercial pilot before becom\u00ading a Civic Party lawmaker, says the government has been, characteristi\u00adcally, slow to act.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time, it\u2019s not until there re\u00adally aren\u2019t enough people that the gov\u00adernment thinks of methods to magic up some people. So that\u2019s why you\u2019ll see the establishment of HKIAA, it\u2019s really to complement the third run\u00adway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tam thinks the government is on the right track to develop aviation. It now has policies in place and is following them, but he still thinks they have not done enough.<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cI think the launch of HKIAA is appropriate, but there is not enough promotion, also the courses are not broad enough and some of them are very expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those already employed at the airport, some financial support maybe available. The HKIAA says applicants for 20 of the professional courses can apply for a refund of 80 per cent of the fees, up to a maximum of HK$18,000 on completing the courses under the gov\u00adernment\u2019s Professional Training and Examination Refund Scheme<\/a>. And the fees if some courses are waived for airport staff \u201cif they enroll through their respective organisations\u201d, says the HKIAA.<\/p>\n

But in order to attract new recruits, Tam suggests airlines, the HKIAA and aircraft engineering companies should offer more internships to encourage students to assess their aspirations and suitability for various posts in the sector. While companies may see offering internships as a kind of so\u00adcial responsibility on their part, Tam points out they also benefit from nur\u00adturing new blood. Therefore, he wants to see more cooperation between the industry and education institutes, so that companies can observe and hire suitable candidates upon their gradu\u00adation.<\/p>\n

Former labour sector lawmaker Ip Wai-ming, who is now the deputy sec\u00adretary of the Staffs and Workers Un\u00adion of Hong Kong Civil Airlines, says the high turnover rate is another factor of the manpower shortage in the industry. He thinks the staff shortage problem should be solved through the unions, government and re\u00adlated corporations working together.<\/p>\n

Ip believes the government should invest in order to get rewards, espe\u00adcially if it regards aviation as an im\u00adportant economic pillar of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to make people be will\u00ading to enter the industry, giving them the feeling that this is an industry with prospects and development, which can lead them to make a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edited by Jade Li<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hong Kong’s status as an aviation centre is enshrined in the Basic Law, but over the years, aviation education and training have lagged behind, exacerbating a labour shortage problem. With a huge expected increase in demand for manpower after the third runway is built, what’s being done to catch up?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[976,1810,7],"tags":[996,980,47,104,1037,1034,447],"class_list":["post-12423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-april-2018-turbulence-ahead","category-issue-148","category-periscope","tag-airport","tag-aviation","tag-education","tag-labour","tag-pilot","tag-shortage","tag-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12423"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12607,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423\/revisions\/12607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}