This month, many young people across the UK have been receiving their A’level results – while some may have already decided on higher education, others might still be evaluating their options. Choosing a career after finishing college at 18 can be daunting, particularly in a world that is changing so rapidly. Yet, one expansive industry offering diverse opportunities, interesting career progression, and global exposure, is air cargo. Often overshadowed by passenger aviation, air cargo plays a critical role in worldwide trade, transporting everything from lifesaving medicines to high-tech components across continents. It can be the gateway to an exciting and meaningful international career. In short, Air Cargo is a growing, dynamic industry offering stability alongside innovation.
Those within the industry know what the general public only truly realized during the recent pandemic: Air Cargo is vital to securing everyday supplies, carrying around a third of global trade by value. With the rise of e-commerce, pharmaceutical transport, and just-in-time manufacturing, the demand for people in logistics, operations, technology, and aviation is growing – also in the face of an aging workforce. From desk jobs to warehouse positions, ground operations to air crew, the industry offers a multitude of prospects for fresh school leavers who want a pretty stable yet forward-looking career.
Moreover, the industry is in the midst of transition as it embraces digitalization and sustainability, so young entrants can potentially contribute to its future as it seeks to develop and deploy AI for route optimization or green technologies to reduce its carbon footprint, for example.
A multitude of career options, matching diverse strengths and interests
Air cargo industry careers are as varied as the goods it transports. To name but a few areas that school leavers can opt build a career in:
- Cargo Airlines: diverse positions ranging from fleet or service management to network planning, sales, marketing, pricing, procurement, not to mention pilot roles, and more.
- Freight Forwarding: from coordinating shipments to customs clearance, customer service, and more.
- Ground Handling Agents (GHAs): managing or supervising the physical handling, loading, and storage of cargo at airports, etc.
- Logistics Technology: developing and working with software and systems that track and optimize freight flows, among other things.
- Safety, Compliance, and Quality Control: auditing, training, and ensuring adherence to international regulations and cargo security, for example.
The list is by no means exhaustive, and this diversity means that regardless of whether a young person is more interested in hands-on physical work, technology, management, or flying planes, there is bound to be a suitable entry path.
Training and career pathways for School Leavers
Jumping in at the deep end is one way of learning about the industry, however, several air cargo and logistics companies offer training programs, apprenticeships, and traineeships for school leavers. These can range from work experience internships of a few months to comprehensive training spanning anything from 18 months to two or even four years (depending on the specialisation). Often, these are a combination of on-the-job training and formal study. They offer an opportunity to earn while learning, get hands-on experience, and gain industry-recognized qualifications.
For school leavers wanting to study before working full-time, universities and colleges offer degrees related to air cargo, aviation logistics, and global supply chain management. These courses provide a strong foundation in transport economics, logistics technology, and international business. Graduates from such programs often access graduate schemes with major cargo airlines, forwarders, or airport operators, where, after initial internships or rotations, they become managers or specialists.
Interesting benefits and international exposure
While competitive pay may not necessarily be a given, there is the unparalleled opportunity to work in multicultural teams and international environments, gaining exposure to cross-border business practices – often with travel opportunities. Given the many different stakeholders involved in air cargo logistics, from freight forwarders to ground handlers, general sales agents, airlines, airports, IT providers, customs authorities, regulatory authorities, road feeder services, maintenance, through to container managers and manufacturers, the first foot into the industry – wherever it may start – can lead to a highly varied career in more than just one of these segments.
Moving the world
The air cargo industry offers people a strong sense of purpose. They contribute to enabling global trade flow, delivering urgently needed supplies such as medical equipment, perishable food items, and humanitarian aid. Working in whichever segment of air cargo, means being a part of an industry that keeps the global economy moving and makes a real-world impact every day.
The best place to look to find a job? Use any of the following search words along with “career” or “job” in your online search: airline, air cargo, air freight, freight forwarder, cargo agent, air cargo operations, cargo handler, air logistics, cargo sales, warehouse agent (air cargo), air import/export, ramp agent (air cargo), cargo loadmaster, air cargo customer service, for example – there are many more possibilities, but these should take you to companies offering positions. Perhaps add your location, too, or specific key words such as “IATA” or “aviation logistics degree”, “apprenticeship” or “trainee”. What you should also do, if you don’t already have one, is set up a LinkedIn profile and follow companies and connect with people within the industry. You can also use the job alert function in LinkedIn to keep you informed of positions opening up in your region. Air Cargo is a people business – if you can find a mentor, you’ll soon find a way in!
For inspiration on which segment to choose, you may wish to read about personal experiences in CargoForwarder Global’s Spotlight On series.
