Airbus announced on Wednesday it intends to recruit 6,000 new employees during the first half of 2022. The hiring drive will take place worldwide, with an emphasis on acquiring new skill sets to support the company's decarbonization efforts, digital transformation, and cyber technology. A significant portion of the positions will also be earmarked for recent graduates.
Preparing for the future
Most of the year 2020 and a large part of 2021 was a terribly uncertain time for those employed in the aviation industry. Airlines, airports, and OEMs alike were forced to let go of large numbers of employees as they battled an unprecedented crisis. And while we have not seen the last of the pandemic and related travel restrictions, some actors are beginning to look to the future with renewed trust and optimism.
As the aerospace industry at large is beginning to show significant signs of recovery, European planemaker Airbus announced on Wednesday it is looking to hire new talent to 'prepare for the future of aviation'. The company says it will start 2022 with a recruitment plan for around 6,000 new employees across the entire group, particularly to help implement Airbus' roadmap for decarbonization.
“Airbus has demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID crisis and has laid the foundations for a bold future for sustainable aviation. This can only be achieved by acquiring the right talents in the various domains of expertise that will help us grow our activities as we come out of the crisis while preparing the long-term transformation of the Company”, Thierry Baril, Airbus Chief Human Resources and Workplace Officer, said in a statement.
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New skills and young graduates
Airbus said about a quarter of the recruitments would focus on acquiring new skills to help support its efforts in decarbonization, digital transformation, and cyber technology. Meanwhile, a third of the positions will be offered to young graduates. The recruitment drive will take place worldwide and across all of the manufacturer's businesses.
Following the initial stages and recruitment wave in the first half of 2022, Airbus added it would reassess the need for external hires and adjust accordingly. The company emphasized it would do its utmost to reinforce diversity and foster a safe and inclusive working environment.
Prior to COVID, Airbus employed about 135,000 people across its businesses worldwide. In June 2020, the company announced job cuts of close to 15,000 positions. Over 5,000 of those were in France, another 5,000 in Germany, 1,700 in the UK, 900 in Spain, and the remaining in other parts of the world. Given the focus of the 2022 hiring drive, however, it isn't easy to imagine there to be a lot of space for rehiring.
A broad range of activities
While here at Simple Flying we are most acquainted with Airbus as a commercial airliner manufacturer, the company is active in a whole range of aerospace arenas. Apart from commercial and corporate jets, it also makes civil and military helicopters, including the upcoming eVTOL CityAirbus, and military aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon.
In its space division, among other things, it also constructs in-space infrastructure, forming the European contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Airbus also offers cybersecurity services.