Airside Employees Must Complete GSAT Training by January 2009
E-learning company provides online learning solution for airside employees preparing for aviation security training.
Dublin, Ireland (PRWEB) November 7, 2008
The deadline is fast approaching for all airside pass-holders in the restricted zone (RZ) to receive General Security Awareness Training (GSAT). In response to this, ThirdForce, the UK's leading compliance training and e-learning provider, announced the launch of a GSAT e-learning solution (http://www. thirdforce. com/sectors/).
In January of 2008, the Department for Transport (DfT) stated that it was a legal requirement for all airside pass-holders to receive GSAT training, a requirement of EC Regulation 2320. In the UK, GSAT applies to all applicants for, and holders of, a full pass granting unescorted access to the RZ, except where the applicant or pass holder is already in receipt of equivalent or better training (known as equivalence). Starting in January of 2009, any pass-holder in the RZ who is not GSAT trained will have their pass suspended.
This poses a huge challenge for airside employers and their employees alike. With only four months left until the condition takes effect, all RZ employees must not only fulfill their contracted hours of work, but also the GSAT (http://www. thirdforce. com/products/product. aspx? productid=38&portId=7) requirements. Failure to comply with the DfT statement will mean that staff will no longer be compliant and as a result this may impact staffing in the RZ.
The aviation industry is one that is faced with severe pressures; heightened security risks and threats have compounded in recent years. It is an extremely competitive, fast paced industry and maintaining the professional development (http://www. thirdforce. com/company/awards. aspx) of the staff is a key concern. The UK currently has approximately 200,000 airside employees that require GSAT training. Operational areas include retail, airlines, facilities management, and caterers.
Elaine Kauder, Senior Product Manager of ThirdForce explained the urgency: "ThirdForce has developed an e-learning course for GSAT that is fully compliant and accredited by the DfT. Most importantly, the solution provides management with an audit trail and the ability to monitor employee progress through the training via its Learning Management System, AIMS Perform."
The course has been jointly developed with a UK airport security DfT accredited expert, Andrew Hudson. ThirdForce prides itself on its understanding of the user and dedication to that user's professional development. Their courses have been designed to make learning fun, intuitive and compelling. The fact that this online training (http://www. thirdforce. com/resources/) course can be accessed anytime, anywhere should aid the airside employees in successfully juggling their work and training.
With the end of 2008 in sight, the countdown to the January 2009 deadline begins.
About ThirdForce:
With 25 years of experience, ThirdForce (http://www. thirdforce. com/) is one of the largest e-learning and e-assessment providers in the UK. ThirdForce products have touched over seventeen million learners in education, government, healthcare, hospitality and commercial organisations worldwide. Blending technology, multimedia and pedagogy into unique learning experiences that lift performance and raise standards, ThirdForce provides a wide portfolio of e-learning solutions, including European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), Health and Safety training and Care Inductions Standards.
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