Girls with Goals: promoting female talent and strengthening the aviation maintenance sector

Aiming to expand opportunities for women in sector of aviation maintenance, the Girls with Goals program reflects the commitment of aviation leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to inclusion. The initiative offers not only access to excellent training but also specialized mentoring, preparing participants to build outstanding careers in the sector.

In this context, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and the Academia Antioqueña de Aviación (AAA) have signed a strategic alliance focused on inclusion and female empowerment. This agreement aims to encourage the training of women in a field historically dominated by men, through scholarships covering the final year of the Aircraft Maintenance Technician course.

The collaboration was formalized on December 5 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which establishes the foundations for the selection and awarding process of scholarships under ALTA's Girls with Goals program.

In its initial phase, three students in the final year of the Aircraft Maintenance Technician course at AAA will receive financial support, facilitating the completion of their studies and bringing them closer to the essential certifications required to enter the job market. This initiative thus directly contributes to training future professionals who will play key roles in the sector's development.

According to Santiago Valencia, ALTA's Director of Maintenance and Technical Purchases, the inclusion of women in technical areas of aviation is an essential step to strengthen and diversify the sector. “Girls with Goals accelerates this inclusion movement, leveraging our regional reach to further expand this progress. We expect that by 2025, many more women will benefit from these scholarships.”

For Cesar Jaramillo Cuesta, AAA's General Manager, this is an opportunity for key actors in the aviation sector, such as ALTA and AAA, to support the industry's companies in addressing the critical need for aviation mechanics worldwide.

AAA's aviation mechanics training program is tailored to meet the specific needs of companies, addressing both technical and non-technical skills, with emphasis on the human factor, Aeronautical English, run-up (taxi and engine testing), EWIS (Electrical Wiring Interconnect System), familiarization with A320, B737 cockpits, multi-engine and single-engine aircraft, among others.

With actions like this, ALTA and AAA reaffirm their commitment to a more inclusive, diverse, and prepared sector for future challenges.