Originally Posted by
ThumbsUp
One of the findings from this study is that nearly all of the failures between male-female and 72 percent of the failures between white-black students could be correlated to pilot aptitude tests predicting their failure. This study did not include USAFA graduates, who did not take the TBAS test.
Ignoring that a lower standard to achieve such a lofty goal is a probability, ignores decades of data.
If United were accepting training candidates who did poorly on pilot aptitude tests, or other standardized indicators, I would have a HUGE problem with that. But that’s not what’s being discussed.
The Aviate program will only train 5,000 pilots over the next 10 years. In all likelihood, there will be far more QUALIFIED candidates than there will be available positions. You may disagree with how United chooses to select from among these QUALIFIED candidates, but the fact is, they will need to say yes to some and no to others. They have chosen to prioritize diversity in their selection process. Meaning 2,500 of those QUALIFIED candidates who get the yes will be women & minorities. (The verbiage on every official statement I’ve seen from UAL is VERY loose, and does not bind them to meet this metric if not enough qualified people apply.) Again, opinions on whether diversity
should be their priority aside, the question is can they find among their many applicants 2,500 women & minorities who are equally qualified as their white male counterparts? I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be able to.
If I’m wrong, and these candidates do wash out at a higher rate, as in the study you’ve cited, then they
wash out. The program is then proven inefficient; but not reckless or dangerous.