Introduction
This resource highlights three of the most essential roles within Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), looking specifically at what the roles involve, the skills and attributes needed, some of the challenges faced and how to start on a career path with HIAL.
While the video resources were filmed on location at Inverness Airport, the content applies to the roles of the security officer, fire officer and service engineer at all 11 of HIAL airports across the Highlands, Argyll, Tayside, Western Isles and Northern Isles.
The videos will be useful for those looking to gain an understanding of the work that goes on at local and regional airports and can be used as a more general resource for developing awareness of graduate attributes and transferable skills.
The resource has been developed to highlight some of the many interesting and exciting opportunities available within the transport sector that may not be well known and understood. The videos not only describe the range of activities undertaken by employees in each of the three highlighted roles, but also promote the opportunities for individuals with particular skill sets that may not be traditionally associated with these roles to consider a related career.
In reviewing these videos, it is important to keep the university’s graduate attributes in mind: academic skills, communication, self-management, interpersonal skills, and social awareness.
© University of the Highlands and Islands
About the company
Highland and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) manages and operates 11 airports across the north and west of Scotland, employing over 600 staff and welcoming over 1.7 million passengers every year with more than half travelling through Inverness Airport.
The company’s mission statement “To provide and operate safe, secure and efficient airports which support the communities we serve” is achieved through innovation, collaboration and sustainability, supporting the socio-economic development of the areas serviced by Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick airports.
These HIAL insights videos feature three employees discussing their different roles within the company – Matthew Lyon, Service Engineer; Gary Stoddart, Security Training Manager; James Millar, Deputy Chief Fire Officer.
© University of the Highlands and Islands
Roles featured
Service Engineer
HIAL Careers - Service Engineer (2:49) Transcript
This video outlines the role of the service engineer at Highlands and Islands Airports and features Matthew Lyon who talks about a typical day, working patterns, what he enjoys about the role, the challenges and the key skills required to undertake the range of service engineer tasks.
Security Agent
HIAL Career - Security Agent (4:03) Transcript
This video highlights the work of the airport security officer with Gary Stoddart discussing why security is needed, and the range of daily tasks carried out including checks, access and patrolling. Gary also talks about the training offered, the challenging elements of the job and what kind of person would make a good security officer.
Fire officer
HIAL Careers - Fire Officer (4:55) Transcript
This video focuses on the variety of tasks carried out by airport fire officers and includes James Millar who explains the huge range of tasks involved in a typical day including training of and liaison with external agencies. James also highlights the shift patterns required at the different sizes of airports, the skills a suitable candidate possesses, the training package offered to new recruits and the selection process.
How to use the videos
These videos can be used as an educational resource for teaching staff across a spectrum of engineering disciplines and throughout the wider curriculum to demonstrate how graduate attributes and transferable skills are applicable across a range of job roles. Students will also find the videos useful to reflect on the wide scope of work involved in each of the roles and how they can take the next steps towards a career in each of the employment areas.
Making you think...
To build on the content covered in these videos, individuals or groups could carry out the following tasks:
- Consider how the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Graduate Attributes (academic skills, communication, self-management, interpersonal skills, and social awareness) would be put to use in a role at one of the Highlands and Islands Airports locations. Pick a function within the airport (security, fire service, engineering, air traffic control, etc.) and say what types of activity would be required in that role, and how the university's graduate attributes would help.
- Select a vacancy from the HIAL Careers website at https://hialcareers.co.uk/jobs and outline what elements of your course of study are relevant to that role, which parts of the role are additional to the topics covered in your course and how you could develop these additional skills.
Where to find out more
Highlands and Islands Airports
Visit the HIAL website or social media feeds to find out more about the organisation, its operations and services, latest news and career or work opportunities.
Twitter: @Hial_Airports / https://twitter.com/Hial_Airports
Facebook: @hialairports / https://www.facebook.com/hialairports/
Website: https://www.hial.co.uk/
Careers and employability: advice and guidance
For advice and guidance on careers, employability, applications, interviews and CVs, the university’s Careers and Employability Team are in place to help you. They can talk through options and ideas with you, help you get started, and provide practical help when it comes to interview and CV preparation: “Look up, look forward, be in the know.”
Email: careers@uhi.ac.uk
Telephone: 01463 279213
Twitter: @UHICareers / https://twitter.com/UHICareers
Facebook: @UHICareersandAlumni / https://en-gb.facebook.com/UHICareersandAlumni/