SANTO DOMINGO – The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), Rafael Santos Badía, held a meeting with executives from the airline Arajet to promote a strategic alliance aimed at training commercial pilots, aircraft mechanics and crew personnel, as part of the efforts to strengthen the national aeronautical industry and make the country a regional leader in specialized technical training.
The official explained that the initiative seeks to develop an academic offering linked to the real needs of the aeronautical sector, in coordination with the National Institute of Technical and Professional Training (Infotep), certified academies and national and international universities.
“Higher education, together with Infotep, will promote the training of onboard personnel, mechanics and commercial pilots, as an offering that will even allow the country to be self-sufficient in this industry that continues to expand,” he said.
He highlighted that the Dominican Republic currently has three national airlines and sustained growth in air transport and airport infrastructure, which increases the demand for specialized technicians and trained personnel.
“We are going to work with recognized academies to transform them into higher education institutions or to have interested universities offer these programs, especially to support young people who want to become commercial pilots,” he said.
Santos Badía noted that the country plans to have nine international airports, in addition to new terminals under development, such as those in Pedernales, Playa Grande and San Juan, which will generate a growing need for skilled technical labor.
He also stated that the proposal will be incorporated into the national consultation on the transformation of Dominican education, with the purpose of adapting academic training to the demands of the fourth industrial revolution.
“We want education to have meaning and relevance, so that people learn trades and professions that allow them to be beneficiaries and not victims of this new technological revolution,” he said.
A momentous step
For his part, Arajet's Vice President of Communications, Manuel Luna, valued the meeting as a transcendental step to strengthen the training of Dominican professionals in the aeronautical sector.
“For us, it is extraordinary to be able to establish a strategic alliance with the State that will open up opportunities in these careers of the future, which will generate jobs for hundreds of Dominicans,” he said.
Luna revealed that Arajet alone will need more than 100 pilots in the next 18 months, in addition to more than 300 crew members and hundreds of technicians specializing in aircraft maintenance.
“The Dominican Republic not only needs pilots; aircraft maintenance centers are also being built that will require more than 300 to 400 specialized technicians. There is a great demand for Dominican talent, and these types of public-private partnerships are a priority for the country,” he stated.
The executive explained that future partnerships could include agreements with foreign universities for dual degree programs, as well as the integration of Dominican academies and training centers of the Dominican Air Force.
“We prefer to promote academic partnerships so that professors come to the country and young people can be trained here, without having to go abroad,” he concluded.
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