Midwest Flyer Magazine

AVIATION CAREERSAviation Workforce Development, Inc. – A Gateway, A Connection, A LifestyleAviationWorkforceDevelopment,Inc (AWD) is a nonprofitorganization inthe Twin Cities regionof Minnesota thatis addressing criticalaviation workforceDr. Tara L. Harlissues that the aviationindustry is facing nowand in the coming decades. The AWDmission is to connect college studentsand young professionals to one of themost exciting and dynamic industriesin the world, aviation. It offers oneplace to locate, often hard-to-findinformation, about all aviation careerpaths -- information that up until nowhas been scattered across hundreds ofsources and websites nationwide.The idea behind the endeavor cameto its founder and executive director,Dr. Tara L. Harl, when she realized inthe past few years that while many inthe industry have shown concern forthe looming workforce needs facingaviation (what she calls “the perfectstorm of workforce issues”), much talkhas not led to much concrete initiative.She believes a few of the more criticalissues include the large retirement of thebaby-boomer population; the changingU.S. demographics; and the risingdemands of the world economy, politicsand technology that are looming downon aviation.“Our new organization is the first>/""#$%$&'(&)*')+,)-"./0.""+123)&'"456)-"+#%#718)"""of its type to bring together interestedparties across all avenues of aviation,”said Dr. Harl. “Young professionalslooking to enter and build a career inaviation, and an industry in search ofthose critically needed employees forthe future.”By fall 2011, Dr. Harl began tonotice more and more articles in theindustry trade journals and on websitesdiscussing the looming workforceissues. Yet, still few concrete initiativeswere being developed to address them.Dr. Harl called friends who wereindustry leaders across many specialties,asking them “what do you think?”The feedback she got was that therewas definitely a need for AWD andshe proceeded to form a board, findtechnical support to build a website,and generate interest in the endeavor.Much of the talent for AWD hascome from the aviation students at St.Cloud State University. Unfortunately,the department in which Dr. Harlhas chaired since 2009 and is knownthroughout the United States for itsprogram excellence, is slated to beclosed in 2014 due to budget restraintsand a shift in university priorities.The motto of AWD is “a mileof road will get you a mile…a mileof runway will get you anywhere.”AWD’s mission statement is “to be thegateway attracting young professionalsto the aviation industry, a career fieldoften considered a lifestyle, and notjust a job.” The organization’s visionis to “address the perfect storm of21st century workforce developmentissues, to connect young professionalsto information on career success, andto develop leaders for the future.”A pretty big endeavor Dr. Harladmits, but being an aviation history“nut,” she appreciates Minnesota’slong and proud history of being inthe forefront of aviation, being thebirthplace of Charles Lindbergh,Northwest Airlines, and aircraft floatmanufacturer Wipaire; and home ofCirrus Aircraft, a nationally acclaimedaerospace engineering program at theUniversity of Minnesota, and one of thelargest business aviation organizations– the Minnesota Business AviationAssociation (MBAA).For additional information visit theAviation Workforce Development atwww.aviationworkforcedevelopment.org.EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Tara L. Harl isan experienced aviator and educatorin Business and Collegiate Aviation.She holds an Airline Transport PilotCertificate, is type rated in corporatejets with international flight experience,holds a Bachelor of Science Degreein Aviation Management, Masterof Science Degree in AerospaceEducation, and a Doctoral Degree inAviation Leadership Development.She founded Aviation WorkforceDevelopment, Inc. (AWD) to addressthe “perfect storm” of workforceissues facing the 21st century aviationindustry. Dr. Harl chairs the ProfessionalDevelopment sub-committee for theNBAA Corporate Aviation ManagementCommittee, is a research panel chairfor the National Academies of Science’sAirport Cooperative Research Program(ACRP), has been a consultant toorganizational restructuring of HBC(Historically Black College) aviationprograms, held positions of director ofoperations and chief pilot in corporateflight departments, co-owned Part 135and 141 fixed/rotor operations, andowned an aircraft management firm.Dr. Harl was the first woman to beawarded the Airbus Leadership Awardand the Boeing Career EnhancementScholarship in the same year for herresearch on the Experience of Blacks InBusiness Aviation, published by PurdueUniversity.