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The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association and Instituto de Formación Aeronáutica de Costa Rica have partnered to launch the Girls with Goals Scholarship.

The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) has teamed up with Costa Rica’s Instituto de Formación Aeronáutica (IFA) to initiate their collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement establishes the procedures for selecting candidates and offering financial assistance through the Girls with Goals Scholarship Program.

This scholarship initiative is the product of dedicated efforts by aviation leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote and develop career opportunities for women in the aeronautical maintenance field. It provides them with access to top-tier education, mentoring to enhance their learning experience, and the certifications needed to embark on an aviation career.

Initially, the program aims to financially support female students in their last year of the Aeronautical Maintenance Technician program at IFA in Costa Rica, assisting them in obtaining the necessary certifications to enter the workforce.

“ALTA chose IFA for the beginning of this program because it stands out as a pioneer in Latin America in the training of women in technical careers and those related to the aviation industry,” says Jaime Escobar, ALTA’s Head of Aviation Training.

The inauguration event for this collaboration took place at the IFA campus in Heredia, with notable attendees including Marcos Castillo, the Director of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation; Rodolfo Valverde, General Director of IFA; Jorge Valverde, Director of Marketing and Sales; John Alfaro, Academic Coordinator; and Jaime Escobar, who heads ALTA’s Aviation Training.

Impact Analysis

Data from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2021 indicates that women’s involvement in key roles like pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians is roughly 4.9%. Given that women make up half of the global population, the sustainability and growth of the aviation industry are hindered by such minimal participation rates.

In this sense, ALTA’s CEO José Ricardo Botelho, highlights that “achieving greater participation of women in technical areas is essential to ensure the sustainability of the industry and it has a very simple foundation: the demand for air travel continues to grow, especially in our region where aviation represents a vital and sometimes unique transport service for some destinations. The demand for professionals is also growing and it presents us with a need that is a valuable opportunity to promote inclusion, where both men and women can make a significant contribution.”

“Our commitment is to promote a greater balance in the opportunities available to women in the region, knowing that in this way we impact entire societies. ALTA is proud to be part of this great project that is possible thanks to the contribution of private sector companies. A standing ovation to the first companies to have contributed time and resources in making this initiative a reality”, adds Botelho.

For Rodolfo Valverde, Director General of the IFA, this program “represents a great step in gender equality by opening more and better opportunities for women in the field of aeronautical maintenance.”

If your organization is interested in joining this transformative initiative that aims to reshape the Latin American aviation workforce, please reach out to ALTA via email at [email protected]. Contributions on an individual basis are also welcomed. True inclusion is fostered through daily efforts and initiatives that set the stage for future generations.