Business
JetBlue Reaffirms its Investment in Crewmembers with Focus on Increasing Access, Equity and Diversity
-- New Internal Development Programs Will Help Remove Barriers and Create Pathways to Corporate Services Roles and Careers as Pilots or Aircraft Maintenance
About this update from Jetblue Airways Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\n-- New Internal Development Programs Will Help Remove Barriers and Create Pathways to Corporate Services Roles and Careers as Pilots or Aircraft Maintenance Technicians --\n\n NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nJetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced plans to launch new internal career development programs that reaffirm its commitment to crewmembers and support its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy. These new pathways focus on creating greater access to select career paths, fostering equity by removing barriers to entry and increasing representation in senior leadership.\n\nJetBlue is launching two new development programs focused on three career trajectories: 1) a new pathway from frontline operational jobs to corporate services roles, and 2) opportunities for crewmembers to pursue careers as pilots or aircraft maintenance technicians.\n\nThe pathway from the operation to corporate services is designed to help nurture, develop and grow future leaders. This path will include hands-on experience including a mix of classroom learning and support, and two rotational job placements, based on business need, with job placement assistance upon completion of the program.\n\nThe pilot and aircraft maintenance technician gateway programs will alleviate some of the known barriers to entry for these careers such as financing and fears of leaving a permanent job, while adding some certainty and a defined pathway to the process.\n\n“We created these initiatives because at JetBlue our crewmembers and culture are key to our success,” said Mike Elliott, chief people officer, JetBlue. “Our new initiatives will help remove some of the barriers candidates may face so we can better help talent continue to grow. Realizing we don’t all start from the same place, equity and accessibility are at the center of our new crewmember development efforts. These new programs will help us build a more diverse internal pipeline.”\n\nThese pathways join JetBlue’s other development programs like JetBlue Scholars, its employer-sponsored college degree program, and its Gateway Select pilot training initiative, which have proven valuable for crewmember growth.\n\nJetBlue’s evolved DEI strategy – Increasing representation in senior leadership\n\nCrewmember feedback was part of the impetus for JetBlue to reexamine and evolve its DEI strategy, which now concentra...