NBAA Launches New Mentoring Program

Workers at all phases of life may be looking for a new career path for any number of reasons, and NBAA this month introduced a new mentoring program that aims to help those seekers explore opportunities in business aviation. "The great thing about the program is it's designed for everyone," said Brian Koester, NBAA's manager of operations. The first class comprises a diverse group of 20, Koester said: "College students looking to find their way into a business aviation career, people already in the industry looking to make a step up, people at a crossroads in their career trying to decide if they want to stay on the path they're on, or maybe turn down a different road." Each participant will be matched with a mentor in the industry. The program started this month and runs through June.

Both mentees and mentors will be asked to sign a best-practices agreement covering goals, confidentiality, how often they will meet and a specified end date, NBAA said. The end point was added so potential mentors would be more willing to participate, knowing "they're not on the hook forever," Koester said. The program was designed by a steering group, with input from NBAA's Young Professionals Council, the association's Domestic Operations Committee and Business Aviation Management Committee, along with NBAA staff members. More programs are planned for next year. Participants must be at least 18 years old.