21st Century Skills for the AVSEC Supervisor

Despite the recent advances in technologies designed to safeguard civil aviation from acts of unlawful interference, many General Service Airports, and their International counterparts throughout Developing Nations lack the funding, infrastructure and expertise to acquire, utilize and maintain these types of sophisticated equipment. 

In situations such as these, the task of safeguarding passengers, airport resources and air crew becomes far more reliant on the human factor.  Security force personnel and their supervisors form an even more important part of the line of defense, and at times, the complete operating system.  The Shift Supervisor then, becomes indispensable to effective and efficient proactive security.


Required Skill Sets

As within any organization, those individuals selected to assume a supervisory role in order to be effective, must possess a unique skill set based on the task at hand.  

For AVSEC Supervisors, the skill set is two-fold.  On the one hand, the candidate must possess adequate job knowledge – as illustrated by the diagram to the right.
This practical knowledge is derived from both: formal academic and professional training / certification, as well as local observation and participation.

The second, component to the Supervisor's skill set lay in the candidate's abilities of: observation, communication, organization and management as illustrated by the Task Chart shown to the left.  These abilities are not innate, but rather learned skills which come through proper professional continuing education, practice and OJT. Too often, those in supervisory positions become pre-occupied with the day to day routine of reports, exercises and shift management – to the neglect of two very important aspects of their job – IN-HOUSE TRAINING and BUDGET PREPARATION. 



Budget Participation

Whether they are directly responsible for creating budget requests, or simply providing input to an agency's overall financial document, the security supervisor must have a viable knowledge of how to calculate need, costing and the various supportive instruments to ensure proper departmental funding.  When this aspect is overlooked, areas such as: staffing, equipment maintenance, adequate staff training and certification as well as daily security operations all suffer. Each security supervisor should be familiar with items such as Disbursement ledgers, Pro Forma Instruments, cash flow recording and needs forecasting.


In House Training

In order to ensure consistent quality performance by airport security personnel, Supervisors- particularly among departments in which a lack of funding or expertise prohibits the employment of a full time training officer-are called upon to present weekly and monthly staff training.

To do so, require some basic knowledge garnered from the curriculum of a credible Training for Trainers program.  Each supervisor must be familiar with the instructional techniques involved in:

a.    creating a training lesson,

b.    interactive learning principles, and classroom management

c.    Student learning instruments and evaluations 

Taking on the role of instructor means each supervisor must be able to execute the skill areas shown on illustration to the right each time in-house training is conducted.

Security supervisors must be competent and capable of developing and presenting task-oriented training lessons in accordance with ICAO Trainair Standards in order to maintain staff compliance with the airport security plan as well as a continuous high standard of job competency.

As an additional task involved in the translation of lessons learned to daily routine, supervisors must be able to monitor, track and properly document staff members On the Job Training (OJT).  This requires consciously drawing from learned techniques of workforce management, decision making, training for trainers and interpersonal communication skills.
In light of today's dynamic global travel, no longer can supervisory positions be granted simply based on tenure, outside experience, or patronage.  The position is a demanding combination of knowledge and skill, requiring constant innovation and detailed attention.


Want to learn more?
To obtain information, curriculum, tuition and seating availability for the upcoming AUGUST AVSEC Supervisor Special Event programs:
 
123 72520 – AVSEC Supervisor Basic (40 instruction hours)
And its companion 123- 72521 Advanced Security Supervisor (40 instruction hours)

This special event program – featuring both Basic and Advanced Supervisor forty hour modules will be held in Nassau, Bahamas, during the coming month of August 2010 -  contact a Spranza Inc. training representative.