EUROPEAN ROTORS – held between 8 to 10 November 2022 in Cologne, Germany – will feature a Training Day, focused on the promotion of safer helicopter operations, as well as a Career Day which seeks to promote the industry to the next generation of pilots and engineers.

The organizers stated that: "In response to the way the industry is progressing, [we] recognise the importance of workforce development, and have made strategic decisions to ensure the subject is central to the event.  It is most important that we have suitably-skilled and well-educated people needed in every successful vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) business.

Show Director Dr Frank Liemandt said: “We are very keen to build EUROPEAN ROTORS into an event that supports the helicopter industry of Europe in as many ways as possible. When we asked our partners last year what the major challenge is for their businesses in the coming years, they all replied: ‘The lack of talent’. This clearly convinced us to organise something special in response to this request – our Career Day.  The Monday sessions have two intentions. First to expand our educational program and second to move the full day courses in rooms away from the real show where everybody is keen on connecting, walking EUROPEAN ROTORS and visiting the EASA Rotorcraft Symposium.”

Training Day – Monday 7 November

On the day prior to the exhibition opening, EUROPEAN ROTORS will be hosting Training Day at the Kölnmesse exhibition center, opposite to Hall 8, as part of the European Helicopter Association (EHA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) intention to promote safety in VTOL operations.

Professionals from both the industry and training organisations will present lectures on a range of key topics, including:

• Auditor Refresher by AeroEx
• Helicopter search and rescue Operational Management Systems by Search & Rescue International
• Maintenance Check Flight Training by CopterSafety.
• Nominated Postholder Course by British Helicopter Association.

The day aims to promote safety and offer important educational content. It will also aim to address the requirements for a range of visitors, including pilots, maintenance technicians, aerospace engineers and various key postholders, including accountable managers.

Everyone who books a paid training course will get free access to all three show days.

Career Day – Wednesday 9 November

Two days later on Wednesday 9 November, EUROPEAN ROTORS will hold a Careers Day, in the same area on the 2nd floor of the Conference Centre North as the Training Day. 

This initiative is aimed both at attracting a wider range of people into the industry as well as encouraging those already working with helicopters to develop their careers by hearing about new opportunities.

The Careers Day will include organisations making presentations about the future plans of their business, bringing insight to future opportunities – whether this be new initiatives, or an expansion of existing work by gaining a new operational contract.  For more immediate requirements, organisations seeking to recruit for specific vacancies will have an area available for ‘one-to-one’ interviews.

Exhibitors are being given the opportunity to participate in the Careers Day by booking a desk for interviews, or an area in which to hold a presentation.  Additionally, the interactive platform of EUROPEAN ROTORS offers a dedicated section for Careers in which relevant content can be posted.

The organisers are working with a selection of schools and universities to encourage students to attend, and a social media campaign will further attract younger visitors to come to the Career Day.