ALTA and the Instituto de Formación Aeronáutica de Costa Rica sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) within the framework of the Scholarship Program “Girls with Goals”

PRESS RELEASE

Heredia, July 31, 2024 – The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and the Instituto de Formación Aeronáutica (IFA) of Costa Rica have formally launched their partnership with the signing of a MoU laying the foundation for the selection process and the granting of financial support under the Girls with Goals Scholarship Program.

The Girls with Goals Scholarship Program resulted from the voluntary and committed work of aviation executives in Latin America and the Caribbean in promoting the attraction and development of women's careers in the aeronautical maintenance sector, facilitating access to world-class educational programs, mentoring to enrich their experience and the necessary certifications to start a professional career in aviation.

In its initial stage, the program will provide financial support to women who are in their final year of the Aeronautical Maintenance Technician program at the Instituto de Formación Aeronáutica (IFA) in Costa Rica and who will seek the certification to enable them to enter the job market.

“ALTA chose IFA for the beginning of this program because it stands out as a pioneer in Latin America in the training of women in technical careers and those related to the aviation industry,” says Jaime Escobar, ALTA's Head of Aviation Training.

The launching ceremony, held at IFA's facilities in Heredia, was attended by Marcos Castillo, Director of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation; Rodolfo Valverde, General Director of IFA; Jorge Valverde, Director of Marketing and Sales; John Alfaro, Academic Coordinator; Jaime Escobar, ALTA's Head of Aviation Training.  

Impact

Research from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reveals that the participation of women in roles such as pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance technicians represented about 4.9% in 2021. As long as 50% of the population is female, industry growth will not be possible or sustainable with such low participation figures.

In this sense, ALTA's CEO José Ricardo Botelho, highlights that “achieving greater participation of women in technical areas is essential to ensure the sustainability of the industry and it has a very simple foundation: the demand for air travel continues to grow, especially in our region where aviation represents a vital and sometimes unique transport service for some destinations. The demand for professionals is also growing and it presents us with a need that is a valuable opportunity to promote inclusion, where both men and women can make a significant contribution.”

“Our commitment is to promote a greater balance in the opportunities available to women in the region, knowing that in this way we impact entire societies. ALTA is proud to be part of this great project that is possible thanks to the contribution of private sector companies. A standing ovation to the first companies to have contributed time and resources in making this initiative a reality”, adds Botelho.

For Rodolfo Valverde, Director General of the IFA, this program “represents a great step in gender equality by opening more and better opportunities for women in the field of aeronautical maintenance.”

If your company would like to be part of this initiative that will transform the Latin American aviation workforce, please contact ALTA at altanews@alta.aero Individual, personal contributions are also possible. Inclusion is achieved through daily actions and initiatives that pave the way for generations to come.