More internationally accredited instructors for aviation sector

With the rapid growth of Guyana’s aviation sector, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is working towards providing a cadre of internationally trained aviation professionals to manage the sector.
The authority received its International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) TRAINAIR Plus Programme (TPP) accreditation in December last year and is now working diligently to have a large number of in-house ICAO-accredited instructors.
Given Guyana’s push to become an aviation hub linking the Caribbean to South America, as well as expanding domestic and international air travel, Principal of the Civil Aviation Training School, Clifford Van Doimen, said that no effort is being spared to ensure the authority’s workforce grows in tandem with the sector.
The principal noted that the authority has several aviation instructors trained by ICAO but is keen to have these individuals fully accredited by the global aviation body within the next two years.
“We have just about 10 instructors trained by ICAO as instructors, so we are working to get them trained and certified as ICAO instructors. This will be a process, and maybe in the next 18 months to two years, we will have a cadre of ICAO instructors,” the principal stated.
Van Doimen highlighted the aviation sector’s tremendous growth, with numerous airlines adding the Guyana route as a main destination. With this growth, he continued, comes the need for more trained aviation professionals.
These professionals will need to apply to ICAO for the course they wish to deliver and complete it within the stipulated timeframe.
He explained that Guyana’s aviation school traditionally catered to Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs); however, since its accreditation, the school can now offer around 500 standardised courses, ranging from management and safety to search and rescue, among others.
“So, we are also using this (training school) accreditation to build capacity not only by utilising personnel from the school but also from across the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority,” Van Doimen stated.
He added that ICAO accreditation has placed Guyana’s aviation school on the world map, and from a commercial standpoint, Guyana is seeking to earn significantly by providing ICAO-accredited training, particularly those courses that are not readily available in the region.
The principal said that while Guyana will offer ICAO-recommended costs for the training, local aviation personnel will access the courses at subsidised prices.