The Irish Aviation Students’ Association (IASA) held their 2nd annual Aviation Career Expo on the 22nd of October 2019 in Croke Park’s Hogan Suite. The day was a great success, with over 700 students coming through the doors to speak to over 30 exhibitors.
The aviation industry is set to double in the next 20 years, and with that demand comes the need for highly skilled individuals from an array of backgrounds, including finance, legal, IT, marketing, engineering and economics to name but a few. Ireland is at the forefront of the industry globally, with 14 of the top 15 aircraft leasing companies based here, and is home to Europe’s largest airline and world class aeronautical engineering companies. IASA’s Career Expo is a step forward towards bridging the gap between the aviation industry and students. Empowering the next generation of aviation professionals is at the heart of IASA’s mission.
Exhibitors on the day included:
- The Law Society of Ireland
- Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB)
- ASL Airlines
- STS Aviation Services
- Shannon International Aviation Services Centre (IASC)
- Six West
- ARUP
- EY
- KPMG Ireland
- PwC Ireland
- A&L Goodbody
- Lufthansa Technik
- Ryanair
- Aer Lingus
- The ISTAT Foundation
- Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA)
- Dublin Aerospace
- CAE Parc Aviation
- The International Bureau of Aviation (IBA)
- Infinity Trading Solutions (ITS)
- National Flight Centre (NFC)
- Dublin City University (DCU)
- Cranfield University
- Shannon Engine Support (SES) Ltd.
- Atlantic Aviation Group
- UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
The aircraft leasing companies exhibiting on the day were:
- Elix Aviation Capital
- SMBC Aviation Capital
- DAE Capital
- Nordic Aviation Capital
- Avolon
- Engine Lease Finance Corporation (ELFC)
- Jackson Square Aviation
Throughout the day, CV clinics were held where students could have their CV checked by recruitment professionals and receive advice on improving their CVs. PwC Ireland, Propeller Recruitment, LinkedIn and Barden were present to offer students invaluable advice for CV preparation.
Seminars and talks were taking place throughout the day, where students heard from various interesting people about their career paths. Eimear Pepper, Vice President of Asset Management in SMBC Aviation Capital, spoke about her career path. Colm Judge, Pilot Recruitment Officer in Ryanair, shared with students the careers that are available with Ryanair. Karl O’Neill, Head of Pilot Recruitment in Aer Lingus, spoke about what it takes to become an Aer Lingus Pilot and where the career can take you. Mike Byrt, Technical Service Director of Atlantic Aviation Group gave us an insight into the World of CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation). Matthew Gee, of Six West, provided an overview of Six West and what they do. Anna McCarthy, a Senior Relationship Manager from LinkedIn gave an insightful talk on how to enhance your LinkedIn. The sessions were extremely informative, and we were very lucky to have so many amazing speakers share their insights and knowledge.
It was a great opportunity for students to expand their network, to find out more about different careers within the aviation industry and to meet like-minded individuals. Visitors to the expo were secondary level students and their parents, third level students, together with graduates and Masters students.
IASA’s planning for next year’s Career Expo is well under way, with plans to have more exhibitors and talks, making it the largest Aviation Career Expo in Ireland yet again. We want to thank all the students, sponsors and exhibitors for making it such a phenomenal success and we hope to see you all there next year. Keep an eye on our social media where we will announce the date of our 3rd Aviation Career Expo!