Expert Opinion
AINsight: We Need To Recruit 2nd Graders and Their Parents
Aviation industry needs to think differently to reach future generation of workers

Ask a second grader what they want to be when they grow up, and you might not be surprised to hear: YouTuber. At age seven, many children spend more time watching YouTube and Netflix than reading books or playing outside. Their heroes aren’t necessarily astronauts or pilots—they’re online personalities with ring lights and followers.

Meanwhile, aviation—especially business aviation—is nearly invisible to them.

Sheryl Barden
AIN Contributor
About the author

Sheryl Barden, CAM, is CEO of Aviation Personnel International, the longest-running recruiting and HR consulting firm dedicated to business aviation. A recognized thought leader on workforce and leadership issues, she is an NBAA CAM Fellow, past member of NBAA’s board of directors and advisory council, and recipient of NBAA’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award for lifetime achievement and service to business aviation.

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