Aviation grads needed more than Nurses

CEBU – Aviation’s demand overseas is actually great compared to Nursing, or so claims the founder of the Indiana Aerospace University.

“The demand for Aviation graduates is actually greater than that of Nursing which the government has not realized,” said IAU founder Dr. Jovinal Toring.

Toring also said that the country is not producing enough graduates to cope with the worldwide demand and added that the Commission on Higher Education has the wrong focus because it gives priority to Law and Nursing jobs, among a few others, which “are not really in demand as aviation jobs are in the world today.”

Demand results from the increase in the use of aircrafts as means of transportation. Aero traveling has increased today as tourism develops and vice-versa, Toring said.

“You cannot encourage tourism in ships,” he added.

To respond to the rising demand for aviation experts, he said IAU will continue to produce world-class pilots and engineers as the institution celebrated its 16th founding anniversary yesterday.

Toring said he is determined to keep IAU in service for the community and the world for the next century.

Right now, IAU trains 2,900 students aspiring to join the Aviation industry which Toring said will likely boost more in the coming years. He also said that most of their graduates receive job offers while they are still taking their on-the-job trainings in different airline companies.

To further enhance their program and to give more intensive and quality trainings, IAU plans to transfer their aero dome to Ormoc City because they see that Mactan Airport is already heavily congested.

IAU has invested for the development and renovation of an airfield in Ormoc to create the Indiana aero dome which will become IAU’s new actual training ground for pilots.

IAU celebrated yesterday its foundation in honor of St. Therese of Lisieux, their patroness, believed to have been the guide of students and commercial pilots during cross-country flights.

Its location in sitio Kagudoy, barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City was once a swampy area converted by Toring into a complex that houses the 15-hectare IAU, a residential area and business establishments.

The founding anniversary celebration was opened by a Mass celebrated by Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Angel Lagdameo who said that IAU must continue to live and accomplish the legacy of St. Therese of Lisieux, that is her vision for holiness and sanctity in a life of simplicity.

Lagdameo said that IAU must continue to be faithful and obedient to God’s will and continue to help neighbors since perseverance, participation and cooperation, among others, are the things that brought IAU to its sixteenth year now. – Jessica Ann Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)