Learning and Development

Learning is concerned as a process carried out throughout an individuals’ life. Individuals need to learn and argument their knowledge in various aspects. This way they can lead to development (Kapur, 2020).To add further to this, Coleman (2017) explains that lifelong learning is not only vital economically but also socially, emotionally and physically.

Learning and development is a process of ensuring that an organization acquires the knowledgeable, skilled and engaged workforce it requires to carry out their work effectively as well as advance their carrier to benefit them and the organotin (Damnjanovic, 2016). 

As explained by Armstrong and Taylor (2014) there are four main components of learning and development.

Learning is a process of which a person gains and develops knowledge, skills, attitudes or behavior through experience to achieve a common goal.

Development refers to the continuous improvement or the competence of an employee through learning.

Training is a set of planned formal procedure to impart knowledge and skills on people, to perform their jobs.

Education is a process of personnel growth, which could enhance the performance of the individual in various aspects.

 

Objectives and Aims of Strategic Learning and Development

The main intension of introducing Strategic Learning and Development to an organization is to provide the employees an environment of which they are encouraged to learn and develop. Further, Strategic Learning and Development aims at creating a consistent and complete framework to develop people through forming a learning culture and putting together organizational and individual learning strategies (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). As discussed by Nda and Fard (2013) learning and development is an essential element in the competitive market for the survival of an organization. In addition, organizations investing in effective training and development programs for their employees tend to achieve both short and long-term benefits (Aragon and Valle, 2013). Improve individual team and corporate performance, being able to attract high quality employees, commitment of employees by encouraging them to identify the mission and the objectives of the organization are some of the benefits of strategic learning and development to name a few. Thus, the primary purpose of learning and development should support business goals as well as manage development of its people(Rodriguez and Walters, 2017).

As discussed by Armstrong and Taylor (2014) Organizational learning is how learning takes place in the organization and takes into account the methods adopted by the organization to encourage learning and development. This is simply not all the activities of Learning and Development executed by the organization. Learning, development activities of an organization should be based on learning theories, and the process involved (which will be elaborated in the posts to come). L & D theory has a direct impact on learning and development in an organization (Damnjanovic, 2016). As shown clearly in fig (1), experiential learning and self-directed learning are the ways, which takes place in the workplace. These learning methods can be increased by coaching, mentoring, E learning and planned development. Formal training can further boost the said methods. However, effectiveness of learning is by joining up the different methods that are available and can be identified as blended learning.

                                        Figure 1: Components of Learning and Development.

Source: (Damnjanovic, 2016)

Learning, Development, and The Aviation Industry

Aviation field gives learning and development a vital importance. Properly trained worker guaranties safety of operation. Therefore, each worker before it starts functioning at the workplace must attend the proper trainings to obtain proper license and certificates. The employer is responsible for ensuring an adequate level of learning.   

As stated by Beena and Kumar (2019) the importance of training and development of the employees support the business to increase the quality of service and productivity. In the airlines sector, the training to employees helps to deliver quality service.

I work as a Licensed Aircraft Engineer in the Aircraft Maintenance Department for a leading Airline. The airline is a EASA Part 145 and CAASL IS 145 approved organization and is one similar example for providing comprehensive training to its employees at all levels. In order to maintain continuing airworthiness of the aircrafts, the airline as an operator need to maintain regulation requirements. To achieve this and to deliver quality service the maintenance department of the company conducts various training programs to uplift knowledge, skills and productivity of the employee.

The process of learning and development, and the way in which it is practiced in the organization will be discussed in the following posts.

List of References

Aragon, I. B. and Valle, R. S. (2013) Does training managers pay off? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(8), pp. 1671–1684. doi: 10.1080/09585192.2012.725064

Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2014) Armstrong Handbook of Human Resource Practice. 13^th ed. New Delhi, Kongan Page Limited.

Beena, A. A. K. (2019) Why training and development is more important in airline industry? a case of indigo airline., Dublin Business School [Online]. Available at<https://esource.dbs.ie/handle/10788/3899.>. [Accessed on 28^th July 2021].

Coleman, J (2017) Lifelong learning is good for your health, your wallet, and your social life’, Harvard Business Review [Online]. Available at <https://hbr.org/2017/02/lifelong-learning-is-good-for-your-health-your-wallet-and-your-social-life.>. [Accessed on 29^thJuly 2021].

Damnjanovic, A. (2016) Learning and development in modern organizations. In: Zoran Jovanovic and Valdimir Dimitrijevic (eds.) 6^th International Conference Economics and Management-Based on New Technologies, Vrnjacak Banja, Serbia. 16-19 June, Belgrade, Serbia: High School of Academic studies, Jp Posta Srbije, 236-242.

Kapur, R. (2020) The practice of learning and development in organizations. Available at< https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339200211_The_Practice_of_Learning_and_Development_in_Organizations,>. [Accessed on 29^thJuly 2021]. 

Nda, M. M. and Fard, R. Y. (2013) The impact of employee training and development on employee productivity. Global Institute for Research & Education, 2(6), pp. 91–93 [Online].Available at <http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr_Rashad_Yazdanifard/publication/260219097_THE_IMPACT_OF_EMPLOYEE_TRAINING_AND_DEVELOPMENT_ON_EMPLOYEE_PRODUCTIVITY/links/00b4953030e52c7e4a000000.pdf.>. [Accessed on 29^th July 2021]. 

Rodriguez, J. and Walters, K. (2017) The importance of training and development in employee performance and evaluation. International Journal Peer Reviewed Journal Refereed Journal Indexed Journal UGC Approved Journal Impact Factor, 3(10), pp. 206–212.

  

The Importance of Learning and Development in The Aviation Industry

Learning and Development has a significant impact on the organization in numerous aspects. The most important being the influence it has on the bottom line (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). This highlights the reason why organizations invest on Learning and development with the aim of increasing performance level of employees. According to Rodriguez and Walters (2017) the direct expenditure per employee on Learning and development has increased immensely within the recent years.

As delivered by Armstrong and Taylor (2014) attract and retain employees by enabling them to obtain high job satisfaction and progress within the organization, provide managers with skills to lead, manage and develop their employees, provide positive culture in the organization, provide higher level and quality service to the customer and perceive innovative ways of solving problems and decision making are some of the aims in facilitating Learning and development in the modern organization.

Aviation industry remains as one of the most dynamic industries in the world. The industry’s interconnection with global trade and tourism is quite a strong one. Commercial aircraft design, operation and manufacturing has seen significant developments over the previous decades. Hence, the commercial aviation industry can be identified as extremely competitive, safe sensitive and a high technology service industry(Appelbaum and Fewster, 2004).

Numerous authors for many years have emphasized the importance of Learning and Development to an organization. Although, the practical implications of L&D is very less visible (Harrison, 2012). Pourdehnad and Smith (2012) states that there is much that could be learned from Aviation industry about organizational learning that could be applied by organizations to meet the demands of bottom line sustainability. Therefore, it is evident that, commercial aviation industry nurtures a learning culture and that Learning and Development is promoted to gain employee commitment in order to foster excellence in safety customer service. A recent study by  Yoke Soo (2018) revealed that considerations should be made in relation to manual flying skills and instruction of aircraft automated systems and it showed that pilot social skills need further development/instruction.

Another recent study by Gibbs, Slevitch and Washburn (2017) shows that, with passengers mostly rating airlines based on the  in- flight service and flight attendants associating longest period of time with the customer, factors that affect passenger satisfaction  can be controlled and improved by training. Therefore, it claims, whether it be pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, flight attendants or cargo personnel there is always scope for Learning and development and continual growth.

Safety and airworthiness concerned as top priority, aviation maintenance industry considers learning and development crucial when it comes to managing effective maintenance and continuing airworthiness. As stated by Clair and Kourousis (2021) the ability to learn from previous events (errors, accidents etc.) with the objective of preventing similar events in future is of high value with having a mechanism for reporting incidents and developing of learning material in the aviation maintenance industry.

The organization that I am employed at is a leading airline and I work for the Maintenance Department, the aircraft maintenance arm of the organization as a Licensed Aircraft Engineer. The department has been able to contribute immensely in generating revenue and reducing costs for the organization despite the challenging times (Annual Reports| Airline Industry| SriLankan Airlines, 2019/2020). This was achieved through continuous Learning and development activities involved and training provided to enhance skills knowledge and competency as well as improve the management and leadership role.

The airline is capable of conducting heavy maintenance checks on Airbus A320/A321 family, Airbus 330-200 & A330- 300 and Airbus A320/A321 Neo aircrafts as well as CFM 56 – 5B, V2500, CFM LEAP 1A engine and Trent 700 engines. This was possible with the required continuous training provided on competency, skill and knowledge to the base maintenance staff. Adding further to this, if the said MROs (Maintenance Repair and Operations) were to be outsourced it would incur high costs. Thus, the profits would decrease immensely. With the appropriate training on skills and knowledge given to its employees have reduced costs and generated revenue (Author’s, work 2021).

With the required training on procedure given to its employees the airline has been able to carry out 3rd party aircraft maintenance for customer airlines from the region such as Air Blue, Air Seychelles and Maldivian Air. This has generated a significant revenue for the organization in the years 2019/2020 (Annual Reports| Airline Industry| SriLankan Airlines, 2019/2020).

Given the required training, engineering division was successfully able to expand its workshop approvals in 2019/2020, enabling the in-house performance of a number of previously outsourced maintenance tasks such as aircraft component maintenance and structural maintenance tasks (Annual Reports| Airline Industry| SriLankan Airlines, 2019/2020). This once again was a great achievement of the Engineering in terms of cost and waste reduction and enhancing revenue generation (Author’s, work 2021).

List of References

Annual Reports| Airline Industry| SriLankan Airlines (2020). Available at<https://www.srilankan.com/en_uk/coporate/annual-reports.>. [Accessed on 8^th August 2021].

Appelbaum, S. H. and Fewster, B. M. (2004) Safety and customer service: contemporary practices in diversity, organizational development and training and development in the global civil aviation industry. Management Research News, 27(10), pp. 1–26 [Online]. Available at<https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170410784301.>. [Accessed on 7^th August 2021]  doi: 10.1108/01409170410784301.

Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2014) Armstrong Handbook of Human Resource Practice. 13^th ed. New Delhi, Kongan Page Limited.

Clare, J. and Kourousis, K. I. (2021) Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness: regulation, practice and gaps. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 93(2), pp. 338-346 [Online]. Available at <https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-06-2020-0114.>. [Accessed on 7^th August 2021].

Gibbs, L., Slevitch, L. and Washburn, I. (2017) Competency-based training in aviation: the impact on flight attendant performance and passenger satisfaction. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education and Research, 26(2), pp.55-80 [Online]. Available at < https://commons.erau.edu.>. [Accessed on 7^th August 2021].

Harrison, R (2009) Learning and Development, 5^th edn, London, CIPD.

Pourdehnad, J. and Smith, P. A. C. (2012) Sustainability, organizational learning, and lessons learned from aviation. The Learning Organization, 19(1), pp. 77–86. doi: 10.1108/09696471211190374.

Rodriguez, J. and Walters, K. (2017) The importance of training and development in employee performance and evaluation. International Journal Peer Reviewed Journal Refereed Journal Indexed Journal UGC Approved Journal Impact Factor, 3(10), pp. 206–212 [Online]. Available at < www.researchgate.net.>. [Accessed on 7^th August 2021].

 Yoke Soo, K. K. (2018) The learning and development process of pilots during initial airline training. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 72(4), pp. 624–624 [Online]. Available at < https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au.>. [Accessed on 7^th August 2021]. doi: 10.1080/13636820.2020.1771106.

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