Opinion
Encouraging Africa’s youth to reach for the sky
Africa has made great strides in recent decades, but it seems to be a long way off from the African Union's (AU) goal of achieving the ‘Africa We Want'.To reach what is one of the key goals of the AU's Agenda 2063 – raise the competitiveness of Africa's economies – the continent will need to grow innovation and continue to enhance the skills of its people. Aviation plays a crucial role in sustainable development.
The United Nations has set 17 specific sustainable goals that the world should aim to achieve by 2030. The majority of these goals are based on improving living conditions and economic growth across the globe, and most especially in our continent.
Of course, we cannot adopt a blanket approach in dealing with and addressing Africa's many challenges. It is imperative that we interrogate ourselves as the African Diaspora so that we can determine what the ‘Africa we want' should and will look like; what challenges we are faced with; and what can be done to address these.
One of the answers is most certainly to provide increased education and employment opportunities for both the youth and women. This would raise Africa's labour productivity and promote innovation and competitiveness in all spheres of life.
Key to success in this regard is overcoming myths and stereotypes, in order for more Africans to embrace careers in those sectors that have always been deemed, at the very least,‘unconventional'.
Careers in aviation
One of the most notable myths of this kind is that aviation is a career for the affluent and elite; this is patently not true. Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) is focused on encouraging more learners, especially those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to consider a career in civil aviation. Not only is the importance of civil aviation recognised in the social and economic development of nations, but it is also fun and offers a diverse career path.
ATNS encourages youngsters by
exposing them to career options they may otherwise not have thought of, due to its remoteness from their residential locations. For this reason, ATNS visits rural areas that have limited exposure to aviation, with a view of educating the youth about careers in aviation and encouraging them to pursue these.
Innovation is the heart of our industry. Research shows that in the past 30 years, our industry has experienced a variation of changes that have both challenged and developed the industry.
The next 30 years are bound to be affected by technology and research shows that Africa will be one of the fastest-growing aviation regions over the next 20 years, with annual expansion averaging nearly five percent. This means that, if nurtured, incredible economic opportunities await the continent's 54 nations.
Statistics show that the aviation industry already supports some 6.9 million jobs and $80 billion (about R1.2 trillion) of the economic activity on the African continent comes from transporting approximately 70 million passengers annually.
Advocates of transformation
Moreover, as advocates of transformation, we are also driven by the desire to see more women in this sector.
The extent of diversity and inclusion in aerospace of underrepresented groups such as women, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and under-represented socio-economic groups remains a contested issue globally.
With these contestations, it is crucial to highlight that activities aimed at addressing matters relating to inclusion and diversity in aerospace of under-represented groups will require a longterm strategic approach.
Having realised South Africa's true potential, and what could be done to unlock it, we have been playing an active role in the country's transformation and development. This includes encouraging the youth to take up careers in aviation and supporting the upgrade of ICT infrastructure at certain key rural schools.
If we truly hope to one day have the ‘Africa We Want', we will all need to focus even more intently on nurturing local talent and developing the considerable potential of our people. In this regard, ATNS plays a vital role in attracting, selecting, recruiting, training and retaining personnel, via our own Aviation Training Academy.
Most importantly though, if we are to reach our goal, we need to recognise that we are a diverse continent, and it is in our diversity that we can coexist best. The youth of Africa must come together and work towards building the future of the continent – it is in their hands now.
The ultimate AU vision is of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa that is driven by its own citizens and represents a dynamic force in the global arena. Achieving this vision will take hard work and effort, and it begins by encouraging the youth of the continent to unite and work together in solving Africa's problems.
By introducing aviation to those who may have otherwise never considered this as a career path, ATNS believes that as a country we are moving one step closer to achieving this goal. We therefore urge young people from across the continent not to allow themselves to be held back by individual or collective circumstance or background, but to instead dream beyond their current boundaries and reach for the stars. This is the only way we will ever achieve the Africa that we all truly want.