IFA Online Session: Industry Resource Challenges, John Scale, ELMS

Monday 13th July 2026, The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) was delighted to welcome members and guests to another successful lunchtime webinar, featuring John Scale, General Manager at ELMS Aviation. John delivered a thought-provoking presentation exploring one of the aviation industry's most pressing challenges: how to develop and measure workforce competency in an era of increasing demand, technological advancement and a growing skills shortage. Drawing on more than 25 years of aviation experience, John examined the resource pressures facing maintenance organisations worldwide, highlighting the growing need for competent engineers as fleets expand, aircraft become increasingly complex and experienced personnel retire from the industry. The webinar challenged traditional approaches to competency, questioning whether time-served and completed training alone are sufficient indicators of an individual's capability. Instead, John introduced the principles of Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) and task-based competency, explaining how organisations can move towards continuous assessment, digital competency management and evidence-based authorisation. A lively and engaging question-and-answer session followed the presentation, with attendees discussing topics including: Measuring attitudes and behaviours alongside technical knowledge and skills. The role of digital tools in supporting competency management. Maintaining a strong Just Culture while collecting competency data. Challenges for smaller organisations with limited assessment resources. Preparing the workforce for emerging competencies such as cybersecurity. The importance of ensuring competence throughout the organisation, including trainers, assessors and regulators. The discussion demonstrated the level of interest across the industry in finding practical ways to address future workforce challenges while maintaining the highest standards of airworthiness and aviation safety. IFA would like to thank John for sharing his expertise and experience, and to everyone who joined us live and contributed to such an insightful discussion. The webinar reinforced IFA's commitment to promoting professional development, sharing best practice and encouraging conversations that support the future of airworthiness across the aviation community.