Originally Posted by
ManUtd1999
easyJet launches initiative worth £600K a year to help boost female pilot recruits - Pilot Career News
What are people's thoughts on this? I don't doubt that Easyjet have launched it with the best of intentions but it just feels wrong to me.
The lack of women in the cockpit is of course a big issue and one that airlines should be looking to change. However, the obstacles to women participation are no more financial than they are for men. As a potential cadet without access to 85k in funding I am also a hugely under-represented group in aviation these days but I don't see Easyjet offering to guarantee my loan. What about ethnic minorities, I don't see a scholarship for them? Piloting is one of if not the worst industry for social mobility. For a company earning 686m last year could they not have given the same opportunity to everyone like BA/Aer Lingus?
On the other hand, for women it is a fantastic opportunity...
After having spoken to an easyJet recruitment manager, my understanding is everyone, male and female, has a chance to have their loans underwritten by easyJet, if they are a part of the top performing during selection. The female are also compared against each other and then selected. This initiative is taking it from 6% to 12% of their pilots being female. I think if roles were reversed, men would jump at the opportunity and feel completely worthy if successful, especially given women have the same opportunity in the first instance.