Learning as a competitive advantage : innovative training in the Australian aerospace industry

For firms to survive in the highly competitive Aerospace Component Supply Market, they must have some sustainable competitive advantages. Customers are demanding continual price reductions and improvements in lead times from their suppliers. In the Asia Pacific region, developing economies such as China, Indonesia and Malaysia are prepared to support the aerospace industry through government intervention. Lacking such support, Australian companies such as Hawker De Havilland (HdH) must compete on price and lead-time in a relatively high wage market to survive. The major competitive advantage HdH enjoys is the knowledge and skill of its workforce. This study examines strategies HdH has put in place to enable them to maintain their competitive position by creating a learning organisation.