Opinions & positions

12.09.2016: It's a necessity to broaden our horizon and to find European answers on the demographic changes.

"The European project CHANGE is important, because our experience on demographic development in Aerospace or other industrial sectors is more or less national. Having in mind, that Aerospace industry is completely globalized and has a massive influence on employment in Europe, it´s a necessity to broaden our horizon and to find European answers on the demographic changes.

We have to find approaches to improve knowledge transfer and strengthen our high level training. The impending loss of core competences and key qualifications must be prevented under all circumstances.

CHANGE is a unique opportunity to cooperate with other European Unions in this matter and to find common options and chances for the future of all our members in the Aerospace sector."

22.08.2016: Education and training are essential to meet the demands of a high-tech sector such as aerospace.

Mischa Terzyk | industriAll Europe | Brüssel/Belgien

"The European project CHANGE is important, because it focuses on ensuring that the European workforce of the aerospace sector will receive education and training it needs. These basics are essential to be successful on the labour market and meet the demands of a high-tech sector such as aerospace.

Only by transferring the know-how of the outgoing generation of aerospace workers to the incoming younger colleagues, can we ensure that this industry and its high-quality jobs have a long-term future in Europe."

28.07.2016: As workers' aspirations and abilities change with age, so should their work.

"The European project CHANGE is important, because like many developed nations, the U.K. has an ageing population, and this is particularly evident in the aerospace industry workforce. We are hoping that this project will help us identify and then apply best practice in meeting the changing needs of workers as they get older. It is vital that the aerospace industry is able to adapt and make the most of its workforce because the skills of its workers are the crucial factor in making aerospace such a success story. As workers' aspirations and abilities change with age, so should their work."

18.07.2016: We receive a better understanding and sharing of identified best practices.

“The European project CHANGE is important, because it is an opportunity for my organization (FGMM CFDT) to be part of a European Trade Union network allowing to exchange information and analysis about the national situations for the aerospace industry in several European countries.

It will allow us to better understand the working conditions of workers, the new and foreseen organizations, tools and methods, and the different approaches for recruitment and age management, especially for young people and senior workers.

Thanks to the sharing of identified best practices, it will be a good means to integrate innovative proposals at the European level but also in our own national discussions to improve the situation of actual and future workers of the French aerospace supply chain.”

30.06.2016: Our European CHANGE-project provides a clear image of the situation of the work force in Europe.

Robert Enoui | Airbus Helicopters | Romania

"The European project CHANGE is important, because it offers a clear image of the situation of the work force in Europe. Also the results of this project can offer a solution for problem of the aging work force in my company but also in most of the aviation companies in Romania. At the moment there are some initiatives to reopen the technical schools in Braşov, but this is a solution that will show result in long term. For the moment I think it is important also to find a short term solution."

22.12.2015: "The company must tackle the problems of an ageing workforce!"

Thomas Busch
Chairman of works council
Premium Aerotech

„It is all about developing a policy focusing on the skilled workforce, which not only shows HR figures, but also takes account of qualification requirements in the long-term. This could form the basis for additional employee qualification measures, such as increasing training figures, together with dual degree courses, target-specific development of internal further training and employee training, and greater consideration of demographic changes. At this stage, it is a matter of anticipating the real need, in the future, for skilled workers with the appropriate training! But it has so far not been possible to establish a basis for such measures with the company management. For this reason, this matter will be at the very top of our agenda.”

15.11.2015: "Protecting the skilled workforce is one of the central challenges facing the aerospace industry!"

Jürgen Kerner
Executive member
of the Managing
Board of the
Industrial Union
of Metalworkers
(IG Metall, Germany)

„Problems with the recruitment of skilled workers are already showing that this need cannot simply be met by taking on workers who are already available on the labour market. It must be assumed that problems with recruiting employees will continue to increase over the next few years.

Our trade union industrial and sectoral policy must therefore:
- Counteract the ever-increasing burdens placed on employees
- Develop and increase long-term employee development
- Develop and/or expand qualification programmes for all employees
- Promote skilled workforce initiatives
- Increase the number of training places and age/ageing-appropriate jobs,
- Recruit more young people and women into technical professions
- Limit the use of temporary workers and prevent the misuse of contracts for work.“