Workforce Needs Assessment in Transitional Aviation Contexts: A Methodological Framework

Abstract

Regional airports undertaking zero-emission infrastructure transitions face a workforce challenge that existing needs assessment frameworks are not well-designed to address: the target competency state does not yet exist at scale, the incumbent workforce has deep expertise in legacy systems, and the timeline for transition is set by external policy rather than organizational readiness. This paper proposes a modified front-end analysis framework designed for transitional workforce contexts, drawing on a systematic review of retraining literature from the aviation, manufacturing, and energy sectors. The framework foregrounds four elements underrepresented in standard needs assessment models: legacy expertise mapping, psychological readiness assessment, structural barrier identification, and external timeline calibration. A protocol for applying the framework in field conditions is included, along with discussion of the methodological tradeoffs involved in conducting needs analysis when the future job demands are partially speculative.