Salaries in the aerospace engineering field are considered high, but limited enrollment quotas, a long training process, and demanding work environments deter young people from choosing it, leading to a shortage of skilled personnel.
Aeronautical engineering is a field that provides high-quality technical personnel in the maintenance and repair of aircraft.
Mr. Ta Minh Trong, Head of the Flight Safety Standards Department, Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, stated that personnel in this industry can earn a salary of 15-20 million VND per month with basic skills, performing simple tasks such as changing aircraft oil and tires. Those with B1 or B2 certifications (aircraft maintenance technical certificates) and the ability to sign off on completed maintenance work can earn up to 50 million VND, or even higher.
Despite being considered a high-paying field, Aerospace Engineering is facing a significant labor shortage, even as the industry recovers strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, training opportunities are limited due to its specialized nature, high tuition fees, and long training duration.
Mr. Ta Minh Trong, Head of the Flight Safety Standards Department, Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, shared information about the human resource needs in the aviation engineering sector on May 23rd. Photo: Duong Tam
According to statistics from the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, compared to the period before Covid-19 (2019), the air transport market this year increased by 1% in passenger numbers and 14.8% in cargo. Domestic transport, in particular, has exceeded that of 2019. It is predicted that by the end of this year, the international market will also recover to a level comparable to pre-pandemic levels.
At a workshop on training and human resource needs in the aviation engineering industry organized by the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) on May 23rd, Mr. Trong stated that Vietnam currently has 13 airlines with nearly 280 aircraft and 15 engineering and maintenance companies. However, with the current infrastructure, Vietnam only has VAECO, a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, with unlimited aircraft maintenance capacity. The majority of airlines have to send their aircraft abroad for maintenance.
The Long Thanh airport project is currently allocating 16 hectares for the construction of 16 hangars (aircraft workshops), and airlines also have plans to expand their fleets.
"This shows that the demand for personnel in the aerospace engineering industry is currently very high," Mr. Trong said.
Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said that the company needs to recruit an additional 100 engineers each year for its aircraft maintenance company. When the maintenance facility in Long Thanh becomes operational, the number of engineers needed could double or triple.
"Vietnam doesn't have overall statistics on the shortage of aerospace engineers, but the entire Southeast Asian market will need to add approximately 60,000 technical staff in the next 20 years because the number of aircraft will almost double," Mr. Thang said.
USTH students doing internships at VAECO company. Photo: Minh Duc/USTH
The shortage of human resources in the Aerospace Engineering industry is unlikely to be resolved soon. Vietnam has a few universities that train Aerospace Engineering students, but the number of students is small, such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology (40 students per year), Hanoi University of Technology (50), Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (100), and Vietnam Aviation Academy (140).
Associate Professor Ngo Quang Minh, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Aviation, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that the university collaborates with Vietnam Airlines and the French Aerospace Institute (IAS) in training, with financial support from Airbus, but cannot enroll more students due to the specific requirements of the training program.
This field also struggles to attract students because it's a niche field with limited career options after graduation. High tuition fees can also be a barrier; for example, at USTH, tuition is 100 million VND per year, double that of other fields.
Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang stated that in addition to their time at university, aircraft maintenance personnel who want to obtain B1 or B2 certification must undergo an additional 4-5 years of training. To work independently and sign aircraft maintenance logs, they must study for a period equivalent to that of a doctor.
Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, representative of Vietnam Airlines, shared this information at the seminar on May 23rd. Photo: Duong Tam
High salaries but also high pressure make the aviation engineering field less attractive. Mr. Ta Minh Trong emphasized that aircraft maintenance is a specialized job, working in a highly disciplined environment with strict requirements regarding knowledge and health.
"For example, imagine having to work all summer in temperatures reaching 50-60 degrees Celsius," Mr. Trong explained, giving an example.
A representative from the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority stated that they do not want to paint a "rosy picture" to attract students in order to compensate for the shortage of personnel in the aviation engineering field. However, he affirmed that students with passion and perseverance will have great career opportunities with attractive salaries.
Besides working domestically, students can go abroad if they have good professional skills and foreign language proficiency because the shortage of aviation engineering personnel is a global problem after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Mr. Trong.
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