Learning And Development Plan For Airbus

Introduction

Airbus has been facing problems with its A380 superjumbo, and this might result in laying off many employees. However, the company does not consider this option. The goal of this report is to examine the learning and development needs of the Airbus Company using the relevant L&D tools and to present the possible solution to the problems facing Airbus.

Gap Analysis

The corporate environment is continuously changing, and old tactics and strategies tend to become ineffective over time. Consequently, an organization must adopt a learning and development culture to help then survive the continually changing environment, failure to which can result in their collapse (Calder, 2019). Technology is driving change at an exponential rate, and companies must adapt. According to the recent announcement by Airbus Company, it plans to stop the production of Airbus A380, also known as the superjumbo by 2021 (Calder, 2019; Weedon, 2019). This situation has come after the Arline Company Emirates, which is the biggest buyer of the A380, reduced its order of the superjumbo from 162 to a lower number of 123 aircraft. Although passengers love the plane, it has become commercially unviable in the long term, opposite to what the company has expected. 

Emirates, which is the primary buyer of the A380, has resorted to buying the A350 and the A330 jets, which are considered to be more fuel-efficient over longer distances. Therefore, because of the reduced backlog, the company is planning to terminate the production of the plane after clearing the existing orders (Dent, 2019). Therefore, 3,500 jobs are likely to be affected, including the Airbus factory in the U.K, the factory in South Wales as well as the Rolls-Royce engine-manufacturing facility located in Derby. 

Recommendations

Based on Porter's competitive strategies, the organization has to rethink and realign its approach to survive the change in the environment. In terms of strategy, differentiation remains the most viable option as it needs to produce aircraft, which are unique, efficient, and safe for its customers relative to the existing competitors in the market.