New Delhi: The India chapter of the Women in Aviation International (WAI) today joined hands with American defence major Lockheed Martin’s India office in a virtual event to advance STEM education for the middle and high school students.

WAI India Chapter is a registered non-governmental organisation that works to create awareness about opportunities in the aviation and aerospace sectors. The virtual event is part of Lockheed Martin’s commitment to provide ongoing support and engagement aimed at developing the talent of tomorrow. This initiative aligns with the ‘Skill India‘ initiative of the Indian government.

As part of the programme, WAI (India Chapter) invited students from Delhi and National Capital Region-based schools as attendees. The event began with WAI India secretary Noopurr R Chablani, welcoming participants and talking about the agenda of the event, followed by insights from Directorate General of Civil Aviation Deputy Chief Flight Operations Inspector Capt. Shweta Singh.

The children also got an opportunity to hear WAI India president Radha Bhatia and Lockeed Martin India vice president and chief executive William L. Blair, along with Lockheed Martin Space vice presidentt for Fleet Ballistic Missile Programs Dr. Sarah Hiza, an official statement said.

The speakers enlightened the students about the aviation and aerospace industries and their functioning, and created awareness about the various career opportunities in these sectors including Research and Development, design engineering, remote sensing, air traffic control, satellite communications, robotic space exploration, among others.

Attending students were given an opportunity to hear industry experts speak on the ‘Future of STEM in India’. The session provided an opportunity to engage with Lockheed Martin executives and other industry experts who stressed upon the importance of STEM and how these subjects can lead to fulfilling careers in aerospace and aviation.

“This is the fifth year that the WAI India Chapter is working towards building awareness about STEM and its necessity for taking up various careers in aviation. This day is celebrated in order to encourage young boys and girls to choose aviation as a viable career opportunity,” Radha Bhatia said.

“The aviation industry has always had a lot to offer in terms of opportunities and jobs. Usually when people think of a career in aviation, the focus is on a few roles like pilots and cabin crew. With this celebration our aim is to see young children from Delhi explore other, equally exciting career options available to them as engineers, air traffic controllers and dozens of other jobs within the aviation industry.”

Assuring that WAI India chapter will continue to introdue children to role models and educate them in a fun and supportive atmosphere, Bhatia said, “since aviation in India will continue to grow at a phenomenal rate once the slight bump posed by the current travel restrictions is overcome, we hope that our efforts will help the industry find the right talent to fuel this growth, while also helping children in choosing an exciting and challenging career in the domain of their liking within the industry.”

Speaking about Lockheed Martin’s commitment to this initiative, Blair said, “as a global security and aerospace company, we believe in building technologies for tomorrow. For more than three decades we have been a trusted partner to India and take it as our responsibility to train and develop the next generation of future engineers, explorers and scientists in India on the solid foundation of STEM education.”

Since 2016, Lockheed Martin has partnered with WAI India chapter to create awareness and build confidence in young students to expand their horizons and inspire future generations of scientists, technologists and innovators in India.

With the vision to encourage young children to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and explore career opportunities in related industries, WAI India works to create awareness about opportunities in the aviation and aerospace sectors.