Education and Training in Aviation
I often get calls from people trying to enrol into aviation courses in Kenya. Many do not seem to know what is on offer, and where to start their search. The dilemma facing potential learners is further exacerbated by the plethora of fly-by-night institutions that are not recognised by industry. So here we go, an overview of where to get education or training in aviation:
- Professional Courses: Oversight for all professional training that result in a professional license is provided by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). This includes Flight Training, Flight Dispatch and Aircraft Maintenance. Such courses can only be provided by Approved Training Organisations (ATO). See the list of current ATOs on the KCAA website
- Education: Various universities and tertiary institutions offer aviation-related degrees and diplomas. Degree courses are approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE), whereas middle level colleges must be licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology MOHEST as TVETs. See below for some popular courses
- Short Courses: Short professional courses are offered by several training agencies. These organisations should be approved by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA)
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
PILOT TRAINING
Several Flying Schools offer training leading to Professional Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License etc. The current list of approved Flying Schools may be found at the KCAA website
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN TRAINING (LICENSE)
- East African School of Aviation (EASA)
FLIGHT DISPATCH TRAINING
- East African School of Aviation (EASA)
DIPLOMA COURSES
Several institutions provide diploma courses:
- East African School of Aviation (EASA)
- Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering (Various)
- Technical University of Kenya
- Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering
DEGREE COURSES
Some popular degree courses are offered by the following institutions:
- Moi University
- School of Aerospace Sciences
- BSc in Aerospace Science and Operations in the following specialties:
- Professional Pilot
- Aviation Security
- Aerospace Logistics
- BSc in Aerospace Science and Operations in the following specialties:
- School of Business and Economics:
- Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) in Civil Aviation Management
- School of Aerospace Sciences
- Technical University of Kenya
- East African School of Aviation (EASA)
- Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) in Civil Aviation Management (in conjunction with Moi University)
Career Opportunities in Aviation
Qualification in aviation disciplines provides opportunities for employment in various sectors of air travel and other sectors of the economy. Some of the jobs in aviation are:
- Airline pilot / copilot
- Flight instructor
- Airline manager
- Aircraft maintenance engineer
- Aircraft mechanic
- Air traffic controller
- Flight dispatcher
- Aircraft loadmaster
- Flight attendant
- Aircraft fueler
- Airline security screener
- Airline/Aviation ground attendant
- Avionics technician