African Development Bank Group has approved a USD 23.6 million loan for the establishment of an aviation training facility in Kigali, Rwanda.
The facility to be known as the Centre of Excellence for Aviation Skills (CEAS), will engage in strategic partnerships with higher learning institutions with the aim of producing a highly skilled workforce that can meet global aviation training standards and address industry demands.
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Nnenna Nwabufo, the Bank’s Director General for East Africa, emphasized the centers’ importance in Rwanda and across East Africa stating. “Overall, the project aligns with the Bank’s Skills for Employability and Productivity in Africa Action Plan, which stipulates ways of elevating the skills level of Africa’s workforce,”
The Centre will admit its first cohort of students in 2025 when it reaches partial operational status, it will offer comprehensive training programs covering pilots, maintenance crews, and cabin crew. And in future will extend its offerings to encompass dispatch and ancillary courses, including those focused-on airport emergency operations services.
Beyond its core programs, the CEAS will also offer services including drone piloting training, flight simulator recurrent training, and specialized pilot training tailored for advanced missions.
It is estimated that the African aviation industry will demand more than 50,000 aviation professionals in the next two decades, this includes 15,000 pilots, 17,000 technicians, and 23,000 cabin crew members.
“There is a diversity of skilled and sustainable employment in the aviation industry that should be on the radar of Africa’s youth. We aim to scale up the infrastructure needed to increase access to the aviation sector skills training to succeed in securing decent jobs,” This according to Dr. Martha Phiri, the Bank’s Director for Human Capital, Youth, and Skills Development
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This project aligns with Rwanda’s ambitions to become a prominent regional aviation hub and attract international investment within the aviation sector in line with the country’s vision 2050.
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