Academy addresses the aerospace skills shortage
Dr Scott Firsing, from Boksburg, director at the new Aerospace Leadership Academy (Aerla), is creating awareness around the career opportunities in the aerospace, defence and aviation sectors.
At the same time, he is also promoting much needed science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in South Africa.
January 2015 will be witness to the launch of the academy, which is a private, American university-preparatory military boarding high school that develops leadership and strong character through an air force model.
“When you mention a military school to most Africans they typically respond in a similar fashion, asking if that is not where you send your problem kids to straighten them out,” says Firsing.
“Unfortunately, this is a preconceived 20th century notion that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Aerla can best be summed up by its motto – Tradition, Transformation, Education.
“Firstly, tradition is obviously important. The academy is located near a World Heritage Site, the Cradle of Humankind.
“It also has a specific military tradition, with the campus being located on the grounds where the Battle of Nooitgedacht was fought, when the Boers defeated the British in the year 1900, during the Second Boer War.
“More importantly, military tradition revolves around the values of discipline, organisation and respect.
“I have seen a number of these values disappear amongst today’s youth, but that won’t be the case with our students.
“All these values have a strong influence on the second word in the motto: transformation. We will teach students how to be responsible and organised.
“It is expected that some, but not all, of our students will go into the military, but, nevertheless, they will all learn invaluable skills that they will undoubtedly use in the future.”
According to Firsing, the school’s curriculum will focus on science and technology, which is particularly important for Africa, but for the world as a whole as well.
He says the academy’s SA location is unique, because it is a country known for innovation, from the first human heart transplant and developing a nuclear bomb to the V-shaped hull in armoured personnel vehicles, along with the Rooivalk attack helicopter.
“South Africa was also recently put on the scientific map after being awarded the Square Kilometre Array project, which is a billion rand radio telescope, said to be the world’s largest.”
Firsing, who previously worked for Africa’s largest privately owned defence company, Paramount Group, says their new Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance and Surveillance Aircraft is a more recent example of such innovation.
He is passionate about the youth and sits on the committee that helps to run the Youth Development Programme at this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2014, taking place in September.
AAD is an exhibition of air, sea and land technologies on the African continent and also what has now come to be known as the biggest aviation event in the Southern hemisphere.
It will be held at the SAAF base Waterkloof.
