Digital Takeoff: ITMO and Pulkovo Airport Introduce High Schoolers to Civil Aviation

Overall, the four-week-long course combined three fields: aviation, business, and technologies. Participants attended lectures and workshops, took part in business games, and toured various facilities. Among the course’s students were children of Pulkovo employees who wish to follow in their parents’ footsteps in aviation.

At Pulkovo, students dove deep into the organization of an airport, including such of its areas as ground service, construction, finances and provision, legal support, commerce, and marketing. Leonid Sergeev, CEO of Northern Capital Gateway, as well as the company’s top managers delivered their lectures on the operation of a modern airport. 

“The launch of a youth business school at Pulkovo in collaboration with ITMO is a great example of collaboration between business and education that supports children’s interest in airport activities, as well as the development of the region’s talent pool,” commented Maria Ermak, the head of HR at Northern Capital Gateway.

ITMO University was responsible for the digital part of the program: here, students attended lectures on IT solutions in aviation, AI, and 3D design. Moreover, Alexander Mayatin, the deputy dean of the Faculty of Software Engineering and Computer Systems, held a Q&A session on the current IT trends for the participants. At ITMO, students also got to visit workshops on soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, teamwork, and critical thinking.

“Well-developed soft skills and a good command of various IT tools are essential in nearly any profession. While soft skills improve communications and facilitate career growth, knowledge of IT tools ensures a specialist’s relevance in cutting-edge projects within any field. Combined with a clear understanding of the basic principles of airport operation, these competencies provide graduates of the summer school with a great chance at building their career at Pulkovo. If that’s what they wish to pursue, they will now have all the necessary skills,” shared Marina Kazantseva, a soft skills lecturer at ITMO and an executive partner at K&D Training. 

Among other things, this format of training has the advantage of helping teenagers make a decision about their future career, discover the skills they’ll need to succeed in it, and acquire the knowledge to help them enroll at a university. Graduates of the summer school have the opportunity to work at Pulkovo: the 15-17-year-olds will join the airport as hospitality agents, assisting passengers with finding their way and answering any related questions.