The Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW) is excited to introduce its latest breakthrough initiative, the world’s first all-in-one peer-reviewed global aviation resources online hub. The mobile-friendly Geo-referenced online aviation data repository aims to break down information access barriers, lower the cost of aviation, and steer students and workers alike towards success.
In 2010, an extensive study titled “The Flight Training Experience” commissioned by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) revealed that 57% of individuals interested in learning to fly seek personal recommendations. Yet to this day, networking opportunities yielding information critical to success in the industry are largely kept behind membership dues and conference entry fees gates or closely guarded within insiders’ circles.
A decreasing pilot population further threaten newcomers’ ability to locate trustworthy referral sources. This new challenge for the masses has always been a significant barrier for women due to their minority status. Women lacking a personal relationship with a member of the air and space industry rarely have access to insider information and are making their way tentatively using a costly trial and error approach.
In 2010, iWOAW’s founder, Mireille Goyer, singlehandedly brought the striking and unaddressed lack of gender balance in the air and space industry to the discussion forefront and her innovative approaches to outreach – the Fly It Forward® campaign and the Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week celebration – demonstrated that, not only are girls and women interested in aviation, there are also aviation’s only chance at exponential growth.
With more than 96,000 introduced to aviation in person to date and female starts now trending upwards, iWOAW is further developing its holistic approach to gender balance advancement by breaking down more barriers to address retention issues.
iWOAW’s new all-in-one peer-reviewed aviation resources hub offers the unconnected aviation enthusiast the type of insider information that only someone born in a multi-generational aviation family could hope for.
The hub brings together industry organizations and individuals in a single, free-to-access, online location where people are assisted with insider knowledge and a direct link to everything they require, or hunt out for.
It features a directory of close to 8,000 aviation organizations – aerospace companies, service providers, airlines – at global scale, including a reference to reviews and ratings for women-friendly key aspects and clear identification of iWOAW Certified Women Friendly status recipients. Importantly, this repository also features job opportunities posted by employers seeking significant female viewership.
In addition, an extensive directory of over 2,000 training providers aims to ease the prospect of searching for training programs and facilitate the identification of women friendly providers thereby enhancing the chances of success and decreasing the cost of trial and error experiences. For students and adults, the initiative also includes a list of scholarships that do not require any membership or application fee as a pre-requisite to application.
To complete the all-in-one approach, time and money saving insider tips as well as career information from women’s perspective provide further insight.
With this initiative, all industry workers and students benefit from virtual assistance. Because iWOAW is established to advocate for Women, this initiative puts a particular emphasis on female career/job awareness and uses a methodology adapted to women’s research style to address not only piloting but also all aviation technical careers.
The hub is designed to continue to grow thanks to the contributions of business owners claiming their listings, free of charge, to add more detailed information about their products or services and post job offers and the up-to-date listing reviews by industry insiders.
Because referrals are proven to be an essential part of the decision process when selecting a new employer or a training provider, iWOAW is offering one Apple iWatch Sport through a random drawing among eligible reviewers who evaluate directory listings from November 17 to December 7, 2015.
“With its breakthrough and innovative programs, iWOAW has successfully steered women towards aviation in droves since 2010. Our iWOAW Certified Women Friendly program was already helping them succeed by identifying supportive job and training providers,” says Mireille Goyer, President of the Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide. “This new initiative goes one-step further towards leveling the access path to aviation for women and steering them away from negative experiences and towards enduring success.”
Anyone can access the iWOAW Aviation Resources Hub by visiting www.LetWomenSoar.net