BSP Airports and New Sectors
Gabby Bradley is BSP’s Workforce Development Manager, Airports & New Sectors. She oversees programs at LAX, and is the instrumental lead of BSP Aviation programs at West LA College.
In the fall of 2023, BSP Aviation courses were held on-site at West Los Angeles College and were free for SEIU-USWW Airport Service workers. 45 workers enrolled in the 32-hour courses.
Gabby is working on the expansion of new programming that ensures Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging to Airport Workers and their families through robust training sessions and opportunities for leadership development, and educational and career advancement within the industry.
In this interview, Gabby shares how she launched BSP Aviation programs at West LA College in the fall of 2023:
1. Please share how the partnership between LAX and West LA College began? What were the initial steps taken?
“I partnered with the High Road Alliance (HRA) to figure out career pathways for airport workers based on surveys conducted by BSP in the past four years. BSP conducted these surveys while offering our Emergency Preparedness Training to airport service workers at LAX. wanted to know programs they were interested in taking in the future.
The team discovered that workers wanted to learn about different careers in the airport. – They did not want to get jobs outside of LAX, they liked working at LAX.
BSP took two years to analyze data and met with HRA to talk about aviation careers and career pathways to create career pathways for airport workers who wanted to stay in the industry.
Peter Simon and Jenny Molica of HRA connected BSP to West LA College. They had the connection, and helped facilitate the conversation about potentially launching an Aviation Course with BSP.”
2. Please explain how the Aviation Career Exploration course was developed and how you aligned the curriculum with participation skills/knowledge and the Aviation Technician certification offered at West LA College?
“One of the things BSP found out when we were exploring what courses were available at community colleges, we discovered that Cyprus College in OC had it, but they did not align with BSP because our LAX programs are in LA. – HRA wanted to connect us with Cyrus first.
We later discovered that West LA College has an aviation, maintenance technology A.A. of sciences programs, and already had the aviation curriculum. Also, West LA College just put together a Bachelors program that will launch in 2024. Perfect timing.
So, again, West LA College has an A.A. and an 8-week certification program. All educational professionals created the curriculum. The BSP Aviation exploration course was to explain all courses being offered at West LA College in this discipline.”
3. What are the next steps after a participant has taken the Aviation Exploration Course?
After the four-day Aviation course with BSP, the participants have an idea of what community classes they now want to take. As part of our College Access programs, BSP is hosting a college workshop in December 2023, so they can get info on how to apply for financial aid (FAFSA), BSP’s Mike Garcia Scholarship, and enroll in the Spring semester at a community college.
BSP also offers case management components, leading them through the way of community college and providing support. We check in regularly while they are taking courses.”
4. How did HRTP funding support this course develop and participant involvement? What other resources did you utilize to build the program or offer supportive services?
It was a four-day class, a 32-hour course. BSP had to release the airport service workers from their employer’s work schedule to attend the courses. BSP compensated for the work hours that they were missing. So they could actually take the courses.
5. What has been the impact and best practices of the partnership with West LA College, BSP and LAX to the region and community you serve?
“We initially kept debating on how to provide the course – Zoom, digital. What the participants learned is that having been PRESENT at the college in person, they got to take a tour, have lunch, have an idea of a school where they were full-fledged college students for a week, etc. –That is what was super motivating and encouraging.
It changed students’ minds that they could go back to school, and thought ‘I can go back to school.’ They put themselves in the role, of going to the library, computer labs, and the bookstore. It was a college lifestyle that they got to experience. It was everything they needed to feel supported, encouraged, and enrolled in future courses.
This project has helped BSP at LAX build a great relationship with LAWA, create new relationships, and work with HR and Workforce Development Managers.-- It was a really good opportunity for us to start the relationship and nurture it.”