In aviation, just 25 percent of management positions are held by women. Despite the fact that the industry has a larger percentage of female workers (44 percent) than the wider passenger transport sector (22 percent), the majority of them work as flight attendants. Only 2 percent of pilots and just 17 percent of air transport operatives are women.

Women 1st secures funding to help aviation businesses develop and attract female talent. Thought leadership, training and mentoring programme, Women 1st, has successfully gained government funding to provide aviation employers with subsidised training and mentoring for women working in their business. The new funding, which has been awarded through the UK Commission for Employment and Skills' Employer Investment Fund, represents the first time a grant has been awarded specifically for women working in passenger transport. In aviation, just 25 percent of management positions are held by women. Despite the fact that the industry has a larger percentage of female workers (44 percent) than the wider passenger transport sector (22 percent), the majority of them work as flight attendants. Only two percent of pilots and just 17 percent of air transport operatives are women.

Women 1st will also use the funding to develop a new pre-employment training programme designed to attract women into non-traditional roles in the aviation industry and provide employers with a range of entry-level staff who have the skills businesses need. In 2009, People 1st established Women 1st to address the lack of women working at board level. Following People 1st's merger with GoSkills last year, the initiative has been extended to cover passenger transport, which faces major challenges in both attracting and developing women. To help address this issue, the funding will enable women working in aviation to take part in Women 1st's renowned Step Up management training programme at a significant discount.

This programme has already helped more than 900 female managers in other industries transform their leadership skills, resulting in more than 33 percent of participants being promoted or gaining additional responsibility. In addition, Women 1st will train 50 mentors for women working in passenger transport and is actively looking for volunteers from the aviation industry to offer their time to help women in more junior positions. Once trained, mentors will be matched with participants from the Step Up programme to provide guidance and support their ongoing career development. Women 1st will also pilot a new pre-employment training programme called 'Step into Aviation'.

Participants will receive specific training on the skills needed to enter the industry, designed to boost their confidence and make them work ready. 'Step into Aviation' will build on the success of the 'Step on the Bus' programme previously piloted by GoSkills, which saw 150 women receive training and work placements with local bus companies. Industry figures who have voiced their support for the programme include Dave Rogers, head of operator training cargo and ground handling at Servisair and chair of the People 1st Aviation Industry Skills board – members of which include, Servisair, Manchester Airport Group, Flybe Heathrow Airport Ltd (formerly BAA), Monarch Group and Bristow Group. Women 1st founder, Sharon Glancy, says: “Research points to the fact that leadership teams with a good balance of men and women perform better. A recent report from Catalyst showed that companies with women on their boards outperformed those with all-male boards by 26 percent in recent years. And with the EU threatening to introduce quotas for women on boards, it's an issue that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.

We understand that achieving this balance is not easy for industries like aviation which, despite offering a wealth of fantastic opportunities, is not always seen as a traditional career choice for women. We also recognise that it's impossible to make change at the top without first addressing the issues that aviation companies face in first attracting women into non-traditional roles, and then enabling them to progress through the industry. “We're delighted to have secured this funding to help employers on this journey. We look forward to bringing Women 1st's experience and expertise to the aviation industry, and have worked closely with businesses to make sure that our programmes will give women the skills they need to build a successful career in aviation.”