7.3 billion. That’s how many global airline passengers are forecast to travel annually by 2034.1
According to Frost & Sullivan Aerospace & Defense Senior Industry Analyst John Hernandez, “Airports need to implement swifter and more efficient methods of passenger screening” to deal with growing passenger traffic.1While Frost & Sullivan also projects global spending on passenger screening technologies will reach $1.63 billion in 2020 (up from $1.42 billion in 2014) to continue to improve screening operations, the research firm also concludes, “Technology is only as efficient as those operating it.”1
Great Equipment Needs Great Technicians, Who Need Great Training
Airport operations leaders know that the equipment is also only as good as the maintenance structure that keeps it running smoothly.
And while standards exist in some countries for how many field service engineers (FSEs) or technicians (FSTs) are needed to support a certain number of explosive detection systems (EDS) machines within a terminal or airport, increasingly, these experts are expected to understand and service more types of equipment faster.
Efficiency is the key to success for these FSEs/FSTs. And that requires good training.
3 Expert Tips to Build a Strong Training Culture
Here are three expert tips to help build a strong training culture for your airport.
- Provide thorough training at state-of-the-art facilities with field-service experts.
Traditional classroom training from seasoned field experts will help form the foundation of your team’s understanding of your EDS equipment and should be made available to a range of equipment operators, as well as in-house and third-party airport technicians.
A strong training program will provide hands-on simulator- and emulator-based training with small class sizes. This will help to ensure teams understand basic operations; simple troubleshooting, such as bearing replacement and clearing bag jams; as well as more advanced preventive maintenance techniques, such as reading and interpreting error logs and using other available analytics tools.
Trainees should receive certificates for successfully completing the modules, and, ideally, annual certification and recertification coursework to validate learning and that knowledge and ensure skills are kept up to date.
Smiths Detection’s training programs, for example, are led by expert instructors—former FSEs and FSTs—who share in-depth, practical insights to help your teams efficiently operate and maintain detection equipment. And to reinforce best practices, our training materials are developed directly from our equipment and service manuals, drawings, and schematics.
- Make training and education a part of everyday work.
Classroom training is only part of the answer. To keep equipment operating smoothly, foster an environment that supports learning every day.
Make sure newer employees are teamed with experienced technicians to learn best practices for preventive and routine maintenance, as well as urgent repairs. Just as importantly, encourage every employee to feel confident that it’s always okay to ask questions—even for equipment they’ve been working on for years.
- Build convenient learning tools for different types of learners.
To build an environment of continual learning, you also need to provide convenient learning tools, tailored to different learning styles.
This can include dynamic online documentation that reflects most recent best practices and covers the most up-to-date parts and equipment instructions. It can also include a video library for those who work best with step-by-step instructions. And a physical training environment and sample parts will help employees who learn by tinkering.
These resources are especially important as teams take on responsibility for more and more types on equipment, or if they work on certain equipment only sporadically.
We offer hand-on training at two state-of-the-art facilities, located conveniently in Paris, France, and Newark, California. With more than 10 years’ experience each, our seasoned trainers know what it’s like to maintain EDS equipment and can tailor training to your airport’s unique needs.
Learn how our expert training options can give your teams the skills they need to keep your screening equipment operating in peak condition. 
.
1: The Future of Airport Security: Passenger Screening Transitioning Into an Invisible Process, Frost & Sullivan, August 31, 2015, accessed June 16, 2017, https://ww2.frost.com/news/press-releases/future-airport-security-passenger-screening-transitioning-invisible-process
