New flight instructors receiving safety training at Guidance Aviation
JSfirm.com, an online aviation only job board, is pleased to release the 5th Annual Aviation Hiring Trends Survey. Jeff Richards, JSfirm.com Manager said, “This annual survey has proven to be accurate in past years at forecasting the hiring trends and is highly anticipated by the aviation industry.” In summary:
400 aviation companies across various sectors were surveyed
91% will hire in 2014 (up from 85% in 2013)
Skilled maintenance technicians will be in highest demand
April, May, and June will likely see the most hiring
78% are projecting growth in 2014 (up from 67% in 2013)
69% experienced an attrition rate of 10% or less
The #1 employee retention tool is “Recognition and Appreciation”
The NEXTGEN Helicopter Flight Simulator: www.x-copter.aero
More interesting was the information reported in the Vertical Magazine article, “The Helicopter Industry is Hiring” [2014-03-17 10:10:16], by Vertical Staff. In it, Vertical Magazine “asks JSfirm.com to break out results by sector, allowing us to compare the survey’s overall results with results for the helicopter sector specifically…And what we found was encouraging. Results for the helicopter sector track overall results closely, and suggest that most helicopter-related companies will be hiring in 2014. “This annual survey has proven to be accurate in past years at forecasting the hiring trends,” noted JSfirm.com manager Jeff Richards, who stated, “yes, the helicopter industry is hiring.” Already, he said, “January 2014 shows a 141 percent increase in job advertisements compared to January 2013. It’s going to be a record year for aviation companies advertising jobs on JSfirm.com.”
Guidance Aviation is a helicopter flight training organization with schools and collegiate partners in Prescott, Arizona (Yavapai College) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Baton Rouge Community College). Established in 1998, Guidance Aviation provides FAA Part 141 helicopter flight training with 20 fleet aircraft including Robinson R66 (turbine), R44, R22 helicopters.
The Prescott flight operations is the Nation’s first FAA Part 141 high altitude helicopter flight training school in the U.S. while the Baton Rouge flight operations is a part of the first collegiate helicopter program in the state of Louisiana and a part of Baton Rouge’s Center of Excellence in Transportation.
Guidance Aviation is a U.S. Military Friendly Organization and well known for its work with Veterans. Over 50% of the Guidance staff are U.S. Military Veterans and over 75% of the schools’ students are U.S. Military Veterans. Through Guidance Aviation’s collegiate partners, eligible U.S. Military Veterans are able to use their GI Bill benefits to fund their professional flight training and college studies.
In 2013, Guidance Aviation’s President and CEO, John Stonecipher, was awarded our Nation’s highest small business award by the U.S. Small Business Administration by being named Business Person of the Year in Washington, D.C. This award represented a first for helicopter aviation since President John F. Kennedy proclaimed National Small Business Week. The merits of the award included sustained hiring, growth, financial strength, and response to adversity.
Also in 2013 and 2014, Guidance Aviation’s Director of Maintenance, Jason Kidd, US Army Veteran, was awarded the Federal Aviation Administration’s General Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year Award for the State of Arizona while Chris Horton, CFI-I, Manager of Flight Operations, received the prestigious 2014 AgustaWestland Safety Excellence Award by Helicopter Association International (HAI) for his work promoting safety in helicopter aviation and the development of the Safety Management System (SMS) at Guidance Aviation. Recognized nationally and internationally for aviation maintenance and safety, Guidance was also awarded the 2014 Operational Excellence Award by STARR Aviation, a global leader in aviation insurance.
