Swiss Future Day 2022
This November our facilities in Zurich, Basel, and Geneva hosted two groups of children to participate in the annual Swiss National Future Day. Future Day introduces younger children to new professions or career opportunities where they can explore and participate in a variety of interactive workshops. This year’s theme focused on diversity and worked against the prejudice of “male or female” professions.
In Zurich, employees from both JBJA and the FBO joined forces to make the day possible. For the day in Zurich, each department dedicated an ambassador who welcomed the children and briefly explained their field of expertise and what makes their job fun, and shared a success story of the team. There was also a video presentation, opportunities to speak with our managers and ask any questions related to their work, as well as a visit to the ZRH central airport control tower and a tour. Finally, parents were invited to join the kids for some food and drinks.
Meanwhile in Basel, our employees welcomed a group of 17 kids for a day of activities that included a hanger and production tour as well as a practical activity in the sheet metal shop. The group was also introduced to our most recent completions project, saw a glimpse of our design studio and received a presentation on 3D modeling.
The day in Geneva began with a presentation of the Geneva facility, and a brief on security and safety rules. The kids were then guided directly into the hangar to explore the aircraft and ask our Aircraft Maintenance Technicians some questions – as well as move aircraft with a push car! The day also included a tour of the tarmac and a Skyguide tour, where sky guide employees communicate with pilots as they depart and arrive from the airport. Finally, the children were able to meet with an employee in charge of aircraft fueling and see our new de-icing truck.
“The feedback we received was all positive with a large component of young ladies showing an interest in aviation…mentioning that they were not aware these pathways and apprenticeships existed”
Our Swiss sites are not the only ones to welcome young aviation enthusiasts and support their dreams of getting into the sky. On August 25, Cairns International Airport hosted the inaugural Youth and Careers Expo, and event which we have sponsored, supported and participated in for the past eight years. This year’s Expo was by far the biggest and best and showcased a lot of what Cairns’ industry has to offer. There were 90 exhibitors, 33 schools registered and over 4000 students in attendance. Jet Aviation Cairns were set up in the center of the manufacturing hub display corner, together with Woman in Aviation, BAE Systems, CNS Manufacturing Hub, Norsta, and EDMS.
In the US, we were sponsors of the General Aviation Manufactures Association (GAMA) Design Challenge this Autumn, generating excitement and providing avenues into aviation for students and young individuals. GAMA has been facilitating an Aviation Design Challenge in the US for 10 years, allowing high school students to form a team and cultivate a solution regarding the specific curriculum for the given year. Jet Aviation is proud to have sponsored the 2022 challenge and looks forward to continuing support for future challenges. The 2022 Challenge had 66 schools participating that spanned 28 states.
