Show organizer F&E Aerospace has designated Thursday as the Dubai AIr Show's inaugural Futures Day, which will be dedicated to inspiring the UAE’s young people to build careers in the industry. The day will focus on the recruitment, education, and training of home-grown talent. Accordingly, senior-level students from key UAE colleges and universities have been invited to attend the event. The United Emirates will begin celebrating its 40th anniversary in December.

“We are launching Futures Day to highlight the fact that it is now vital to prepare training facilities and equipment to cater for the huge numbers of young people required as pilots and technicians for this region in the future to keep the aerospace industry flourishing,” explained F&E Aerospace managing director Alison Weller. “The thrill of flying is waiting to be discovered at Futures Day where young people will have the opportunity to speak to industry experts, who will undoubtedly inspire them to be part of this exciting and multi-faceted industry and advise them on how they can plot their education path to achieve a satisfying career in aviation.”

In promoting the day ahead of this week's show, the organizers presented it as an opportunity for exhibitors and sponsors to:

• inspire young minds to forge a career in aerospace;
• engage students with fun and interactive programs;
• advise on careers within their companies and industry sectors;
• collaborate with F&E Aerospace on bespoke initiatives to reach visiting students; and
• support Futures Day with a sponsorship package.

The packages, available at various sums up to $5,000, will allow participant companies to make ten-minute workshop presentations to 400 students, highlight education and recruitment programs, hold exhibitor stand or chalet sessions for groups of 20 students, and show company branding and logos on related air-show materials and publications.

The Futures Day is being preceded by the inaugural Gulf Aviation Training Event (GATE) conference running over two half-days today and tomorrow [November 14 and 15] that will address future flight training requirements for the Middle East’s commercial aviation sector. The conference program includes sessions on oversight of third-party training by airlines and lawmakers, flight crew selection, evidence-based training, and manual handling in airline training.

The initiative takes place as the UAE confirms its strategy of "Emiratization" to bring increasing numbers of local citizens into the workplace. In mid-September, the national government endorsed plans for annual training programs aimed at reducing unemployment and increasing Emirati numbers in the private sector.

The strategy includes new employee objectives and targets for annually trained workers, as well as providing accurate and regular information on Emiratization rates in all sectors. It covers several initiatives aimed at increasing communal participation in emiratisation "issues" and competitiveness among UAE employees, and integrating related policies.

An example of the strategy in practice has been a move earlier this year by Dubai Airports to develop leadership among UAE employees through the appointment of two Emiratis to executive positions as vice-presidents of human resources and of learning and development. The airports operator says that " 'delivering' competent people, thriving in a great place to work"' is a pillar of corporate strategy and paramount to its success as an organization.