On June 17, the ICAO Global Aviation Training (TAG) held its “TRAINAIR PLUS Live Briefing” for all TRAINAIR PLUS Program (TPP) Members via videoconference in Spanish for the Americas. With an audience of more than 70 participants, the session aimed to inform TPP members about TAG initiatives to support capacity building activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was used as a platform for an open roundtable discussion with members to receive their input and feedback on TAG initiatives during the current global crisis.
Opening remarks were made by Sr. Diego Martinez, Head of the Global Aviation Training (GAT) Section, made a presentation on GAT’s initiatives to face one of the biggest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for the training centers, which have had the need to create virtual courses. Therefore, it is important during this change of teaching modality to combine synchronous and asynchronous methods, as well as to improve the degree of interaction with the participants.
ICAO formed a round table panel and kindly invited representatives from 3 Regional RTCE Training Centers of Excellence, such as the Academia Superior de Ciencias Aeronáuticas ASCA of the Dominican Republic, the Corporación Educativa Indoamericana CEI of Colombia and the Instituto Centroamericano de Capacitación Aeronáutica ICCAE, of El Salvador.
Mario Martinez, Director of ICCAE, shared the main challenges and challenges that ICCAE has faced as a result of the pandemic, how it was affected by the decrease in classroom courses that were already scheduled for 2020, reduction of the investment budget and cuts in training projects, the opportunities and initiatives that the institution has had through the development of training courses in virtual mode, on its platform. ICCAE’sVirtual Training System VTS-i; new Governmental Operational Safety Inspectors courses and new virtual learning environment courses.
In addition, he highlighted the standard protocols dictated by the ICAO, so that the member centers of the program can have the feasibility of providing such training courses, the fact of undergoing the RTCE revaluation process, which opens the gap and generates opportunities for development and maintaining the status that currently represents the ICCAE. He concluded his speech by sharing the importance of seeking sources of financing with the support of the TAG to promote initiatives to strengthen the training centers.
The session culminated with a question and answer period for all attendees and thanks to the participants and panelists by ICAO Global Aviation Training (GAT) officials.
By participating in these ICAO sessions, COCESNA’s ICCAE reaffirms its international position as a reference center for training in the aeronautical industry.