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Airlines, with record high operating costs, are only willing to pay so much for ground services, and this directly effects the pay and benefits that the ground service companies can offer to their workers.

Take a quick look around the ramp and you will see the average ramp worker is under 25 years of age. These young people generally don’t have any ramp experience and are just looking for steady work and a new experience. Many soon realize that the ramp is not for them.

Just getting the job can be difficult. There are police security checks, ramp driver’s license exams, security passes, aircraft safety courses, drug tests, personal history checks and constant supervision.

Some of the younger ramp workers have other qualifications such as pilot, air traffic controller or apprentice aircraft mechanic. After graduating their courses they can’t find work so they join the ramp crew to get their security clearances and to shop around for a better job at the airport. Most young ramp workers don’t consider it a career, but rather a stepping stone.

Unfortunately the constant recruiting and training of new employees is contributing to overall operating costs and limiting the pay and benefits that ground service companies can provide. The challenge for ground service operators is to find a way to keep good employees from leaving.

Pay incentives, promotions to leadership rolls, monthly moral boosting contests, teamwork building exercises, friendly and concerned management, these are a few strategies that can be employed by companies to help keep their young work force interested and focused on their jobs.

Compare the cost of training a new employee to the cost of starting incentive based programs to help keep the workers you have. Get them involved in the decisions that directly affect their working conditions. Empower your employees and you may find that they will work with you instead of for you.