Page 28 - Sphere No.31 (Jul 2012)

26 Sphere 31
People
to match growing demand for its services, gAmeCo’s
workforce has expanded rapidly over recent years. The
addition of around 400 new employees in 2011 brought
the total workforce to 4,300 and growth looks set to
continue in the coming year.
in light of the demanding and highly technical
nature of the work on offer at gAmeCo, recruitment
is competitive and training rigorous. engineering
candidates are typically graduates of China’s eight
aviation universities and 12 colleges. After joining, they
are subject to five years’ additional training, both in the
classroom and on the job, during which they apply to
receive their official licences from CAAC.
Aviation is usually seen as a man’s world. to challenge
stereotypes, gAmeCo is keen to increase diversity and
attract more women to work in technical roles. two
female employees at the company’s guangzhou facility
– mayy du (manager, onboard software development
& management) and Yili Yu (manager, Airworthiness
management) – were more than happy to tell us about
their experiences at gAmeCo.
The Factor
What do you most enjoy about
working at GAMECO?
Yili Yu: I really enjoy the work environment at
GAMECO, which is always frank and open. My
colleagues are honest, down-to-earth people who
believe in a common goal of maintaining the highest
standards of aircraft safety. Our work is directly
related to public safety, so as aircraft maintenance
specialists, we must always conduct ourselves in
a pragmatic and responsible fashion, based on
sincere relationships and direct communication. For
me, this is one of the best features of GAMECO and
helps us maintain the respect of our industry peers.
Mayy Du: The atmosphere at GAMECO is friendly
and collaborative. Although everyone has a
different role, there is definitely a sense of common
dedication to high safety standards, and working
efficiently together to make sure aircraft are
delivered back to the operators on time.
Why did you choose this career?
Mayy Du: I first became interested in aviation as
a child, listening to the heroic tales of an uncle
who lived next door, a retired military pilot. When
the university entrance exams came around,
my preference was for aeronautical engineering
colleges. In 1996, I graduated from Nanjing
University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and
joined gAmeCo soon after.
Yili Yu: As my background is originally in liberal
arts, starting a career in aviation maintenance at
gAmeCo was quite unexpected. After joining in
1995, however, I found a place for myself to follow
a path of development suitable for my own skills,
especially my language skills. As english is the
lingua franca of the aviation industry, and since
gAmeCo’s ultimate goal is to internationalise
through receiving overseas certifications and
attracting foreign customers, I found that good
english language skills are essential to the
business.
Ms Mayy Du performing troubleshooting procedures in an
aircraft cockpit.
Boeing’s new Dreamliner
is constructed out of
carbon fibre composites.