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©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DANLEAP PROFESSIONALISM 30 APRIL 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY THE AVIATION INDUSTRY LIKE MANY other industries, and maybe even more than most, is changing at a rate that is hard to fathom, let alone trying to stay ahead of the change. We find this is especially true when it comes to dealing with people and understanding the differing needs of the generations in the workplace. There is a generation of experienced maintenance technician professionals that is aging out of the workforce over the next few years. The aircraft maintenance job oppor- tunities are expected to see a 6 percent growth in the next decade according to U.S. statistics. This means solid opportuni- ties for graduating mechanics specializing in avionics, sheet metal, and composites. But it will be an increasing challenge for organizations and leadership to fill these positions with employees that have all the characteristics that are essential for a strong team and culture: dependabil- ity, leadership qualities, and core skills (human interaction, communication, and team players). There is a new generation already in the workforce with a whole different set of expectations and guiding motivations. Leaders, supervisors, and managers are feeling the pinch of trying to understand, manage, and motivate this new genera- tion of workers while trying to meet increasing demands placed on them by the marketplace to get things done faster, cheaper, and better than ever before. One of the challenges we are hearing from leadership and hiring managers is that typical new job applicants are not as technically skilled as they were even 10 years ago. A&P; school training is limited, and modern technology changes faster than it can be taught. It is more diffi- cult to find professionals with the exact technical abilities for the job description. Even job descriptions for maintenance technicians are not what they were in the past. Most organizations, whether they are a small maintenance shop or a large OEM or MRO, are tasked with doing more, faster, and with less resourc - es than ever before. So, individuals and departments have a wider scope of job responsibilities within their typical work environment. HOW TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN By ServiceElements, Christine Hill NEW EMPLOYEES IN THE MRO WORLD