* Capt Abdulsalam ,NCAT boss
…Says It Has Gone Beyond Mere Training Of Personnel
The Chief Executive Officer and Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology(NCAT), Capt. Abdulsalam Mohammed has declared that building human capacity in the aviation industry should be carried out with deliberate plan, in a predictable direction and not haphazardly.
This is just as he pointed out that in capacity development thorough,strategic planning and commitment are required to achieve the intended goal in the most effective manner.
He said this while speaking as the first guest speaker at the Aviation Careers Conference organised by Mama J Aviation Consult imited at the weekend in Ikeja,Lagos.
Speaking on the topic , “The role of Aviation Training Institution in Human Capacity Development and Capacity Building”, Capt. Abdulsalam, stated that to achieve the resuts building capacity should not be done haphazardly.
According to him, “Building human capacity cannot be done haphazardly, rather it must be done in a deliberate and in a predictable direction. In capacity development, thorough and strategic planning and commitment are required in order that the intended goal can be achieved in the most effective manner. In other words, capacity development must be well designed and executed to produce sustainable effects on the individual, organisation or society. To achieve a successful capacity development programme, especially for an organization or industry, it must be built on a clear vision, a broad-based commitment and active stakeholders’ participation.”
The NCAT boss pointed out that the importance of human capacity in aviation cannot be overemphasised, adding that aviation industry depends on the proficiency and skills of its personnel.
He added that the goal of safe, secure and profitable air transport depends squarely on the capacity of the various personnel such as pilots, Air Traffic Controllers(ATCs), engineers, cabin crew and among others to function efficiently and optimally.
Abdulsalam stated that in an industry where more than 70 per cent of aircraft accidents and incidents are blamed on human factors, the building of individual and organisational capacity is a necessary investment to achieve a safer and profitable aviation business.
He stated that capacity building had gone beyond mere training of an individual to become more capable, but that it encompasses the building of capacity and competence, adding that in view of this , it would be correct to say that capacity building is synonymous with capacity, Capabilities and Competencies(3Cs).
Competencies, he said entail the energies skills and abilities of individuals, capabilities on the other hand involve the collective ability of group or a system to do something either inside or outside the organisation,while capacity is concerned with the overall ability of an organisation to create value for others.
Capacity building, the NCAT Chief Executive Officer stated had in recent times taken an entirely new approach, adding that the conventional approach of merely focusing on education and training had shifted to broad areas of improving organisational performance and broader transformational goals.
He posited that today capacity building is much now more robust and comprehensive and that it develops new skills and competences to respond to specific (individual and organisational) needs, applying incentives to the newly acquired skills and improve workplace performance,developing learning strategies to address future training needs and personnel development recognised as a necessary means to improve organisational performance.
He stressed that despite the growing scope, training no doubt remains the core of capacity building, arguing that capacity building can best be achieved through training and retraining of the industry professionals and that organisations have the strategic plans for solving current and future training needs.
“In aviation capacity building cannot happen in a hermit’s box. It involves strategic planning and organisational commitment. A fundamental feature is that capacity development comes with its own peculiarities in aviation. This is not entirely unexpected because aviation is a unique industry with its own distinct rules of behaviours and regulations,” he said.
Speaking on the issues, associated with capacity building, he “One critical issue in capacity building in aviation is the expensive nature of training in aviation. Capacity building in aviation is highly expensive. As a Head of a training institution, this is a serious concern for me. Aviation training has become elitist, available to only few. As a developing economy with significant number of the populace living below the poverty line, it behoves on government to continue to subsidise training programmes and procurement of facilities and equipment. I’m pleased to add that the government has been very helpful, particularly for us in NCAT, Zaria.
He stated that at NCAT these were familiar trends that it had fully complied with.
In his words, “We have fully integrated our programmes and training methods in line with global standards and trends. Our cutting edge trainings in our 5 Schools are geared towards equipping aviation professionals with the skills and knowledge to function at high levels in an ever-more sophisticated environment. Our core underpinning strategies at the College is to provide solutions and support the manpower development of the air transport sector in the country and the sub-region through implementation of innovative trainings. The College is equipped with modern training facilities to undertake training in all professional fields of civil aviation. As a training institution, we adapt rapidly to the challenges of responding to the increasing demands in the field. I would like to humbly report that NCAT was recently awarded the status of Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE) by ICAO. This highly coveted award is in recognition of our continuous efforts at improving in our training activities, and in recognition of our contribution to manpower development in the world aviation industry. “
