SFC looks to bridge aviation gender gap with new initiative

Sydney-based flight training academy Sydney Flight College (SFC) has today announced the launch of its ‘25 by 25’ initiative, a determined company focus to increase the number of female pilots in its student cohort to at least 25% by 2025.

As a leading not-for-profit flight academy and long-standing flying club, SFC hopes to play its part in addressing the aviation industry’s serious under-representation of women where as few as five percent of pilots worldwide are women. Australia averages 10% female pilots.

The new initiative will involve a widespread marketing campaign, along with targeted events and new internal support networks at SFC to make flight training more tangible, accessible, and enjoyable for women of all ages and backgrounds.

The ‘25 by 25’ message will also be spread across NSW through SFC’s ongoing Connection Program, which sees staff travel to meet students, career advisors and communities with answers to all the questions about the wonders of flight training and pathways into aviation.

SFC Head of Marketing Raymond Toutounji said that forging meaningful conversations is crucial to target gender inequality in the sector.

“We now know how important it is for us to be able to meet young people, particularly young women, and get them excited about aviation before they finish high school”. Toutounji said.

“Far too many think aviation is not for them but we can prove there’s absolutely no barrier for young girls to live out their dreams and become a pilot that can lead to a wildly successful career in aviation.

SFC student Deanne Rodrigues said that supporting women is vital for them if they are to enter the aviation industry and increase female representation among pilots.

“Aviation will always be the skill of the individual rather than the gender. But by encouraging women to enter into this exciting industry, I'm grateful SFC recognises there is a gender gap and the way they provide continuous support and professional development opportunities makes me feel they are leading the way to break down the barriers,” Rodrigues said.

SFC chief executive Joseph Pilo said that increasing female representation in aviation is a complicated, multi-faceted challenge, and something the industry must work together to achieve.

“That women make up just 5% of all pilots worldwide, a figure that has barely increased in the last 50 years, is woeful in 2023” Pilo said. “Here at SFC, around 18% of our student cohort are women, and we are confident this targeted initiative can increase the number to 25% over the next two years.”

Toutounji highlighted SFC’s new internal strategies and external community events.

“Right now, a lot of women look at the aviation industry and only see obstacles that stand in their way of making i† a career. We want to target those impediments right from the outset,” Toutounji said.

“Our internal networks hope to create welcoming and safe spaces for our students to discuss not just their training syllabus, but a create a platform for conversations that are difficult to navigate in such a male-dominated industry.”

Meanwhile, the SFC has also extended its partnerships with the Australian Women’s Pilots Association (AWPA) and SFC Ambassador and World Air Race Champion Matt Hall, as it gears up for an exciting year in 2023.

The agreements will see both the AWPA and Matt Hall again support the academy’s scholarship programs this year.SFC awards numerous scholarships each year to newly-enrolled students undertaking its 16 month Diploma Commercial Pilots Licence course under its Matt Hall Flight Training Scholarships, and Women Pilot Scholarships.

Chosen recipients are awarded $10,000 credit towards their training at SFC to support their ambitions of becoming a pilot.

“I’d like to thank Matt and the Australian Women’s Pilots Association for their ongoing support of SFC and its future students, helping us make flight training an achievable goal for everyone,” Toutounji said.

As a not-for-profit flight training facility, SFC’s sole purpose is to grow the aviation industry through the joy of flight, Pilo added. “We invest all profits back into our Members, students, our aircraft, and our facilities in order to offer a better flight training experience.”

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