Read our series of interviews with the people who are making the Yocova platform come alive. Here we speak to Jingru Yan, Manager of Human Factors and Performance at Air Canada about her career path, how Yocova benefits her work and the opportunities and challenges she has faced as a young Asian female in a male dominated industry.
Growing up in China, Jingru graduated from high school, not entirely sure of which career path to take but gained a place at the Civil Aviation University of China to study a Bachelor of Engineering – Safety Engineering & Safety Management. It was then that she became passionate about aviation. After graduating, Jingru went on to study a Masters of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering (Human Factors in Aviation) at the University of Waterloo in Canada, before working her way to her dream job at Air Canada – Manager of Human Factors and Performance.
We talk to Jingru about the steps she took to get her perfect role, what that entails, how Yocova benefits her in her role, and the opportunities and challenges she has faced along the way.
Why did you choose aviation?
“I wasn’t sure which career path I wanted to take after I finished high school but was offered a place at the Civil Aviation University of China to study a Bachelor of Engineering. The university was located directly next to Tianjin Binhai International Airport in China, so I could see planes taking off and landing all day and observe the operations, and that’s when I fell in love with the aviation industry. After graduating, I knew I wanted to further my studies and learn more about the industry. I was fortunate enough to find Professor Jonathan Histon at the University of Waterloo in Canada, whose research focus was very much aligned with my own interests. He accepted me on his programme and my research project at that time was to study what the top human factor related risks airlines were facing and whether we could use the flight data monitoring programme to identify those risks. My project was also sponsored by an airline partner, so I got great industry exposure and became certain that this was the path I wanted to take.”
After your Masters, how did you get into the industry?
“I was fortunate to have had some great industry professional mentors as part of my Masters programme, who advised me to take any opportunity I could to get into the industry and to learn ‘like a sponge’. So, after I graduated from my Masters programme, I got my first job at Air Canada as an Occupational Health & Safety specialist for In-flight Service. While the role was not directly related to my research, it was still in the safety domain, working with things like flight attendant safety reports, injury reports and looking at ways to improve flight crews’ working environment. This role opened the door for me to understand how flight crews operated in the cabin. I also took the advice I’d been given and learned as much as I could about the airline I worked for and the wider aviation industry. Then, in 2017, Air Canada created a human factors role to help the airline develop more projects related to this area. I was offered the job and it’s the role I am currently doing and still enjoying today.”
What does your role entail?
“It’s a research and development based role and has involved many human factor-related projects and programmes. I work closely with flight operations, airports, in-flight and other departments to help them develop their human factors training and also look at CRM training from a human factors perspective. I also work closely with safety investigators to help with any human factors related issues that are contributing factors in safety investigations. After all of my studies and research the job is a great fit. I’m so happy that Air Canada has created such an innovative role to promote human factors in safety management. ”
Have you experienced any challenges along the way as a female in a male dominated industry?
“The aviation industry is definitely a male dominated space but I do think things are changing and people are starting to recognise the importance of women in the sector. At Air Canada, we have several senior leaders and directors who are female and the airline is great on equality and diversity. Of course, as well as being a female, I am also an Asian working in Canada and fairly young, so I don’t think I obviously fit the kind of profile that is considered to be ‘normal’ in my field. In my current role I’ve sat in pilot training sessions and noticed how few female and Asian faces there are in the classrooms. I think sometimes I have to put more effort in than others or make my work extra excellent to get noticed or taken seriously; although I do think it raises the profile of the work I am doing, since I come across people who are curious about my background and how I came to be doing what I am today.”
What are the benefits you have experienced since joining Yocova?
“I’m fairly new to Yocova, as I joined at the beginning of 2021. It’s been a great experience for me to access all of the amazing information available and to have the opportunity to connect with professionals and experts across the industry, particularly during COVID times when we can’t easily meet face to face. As a young professional I try to contribute as much as I can but this is also a great opportunity for me to learn from others who have more experience in the industry. I feel that people are really trying to help each other in the Yocova community and it’s a trusted platform, so members are willing to share their experiences. I’ve also found it to be a great place to benchmark with other organisations, learn from best practice and share common experiences within the industry. When I joined, I was introduced to other members and groups relevant to my interest areas, so for me, it’s been a helpful and supportive community since day one.”
What would you like to see from Yocova in future?
“The most important things for me are the opportunities to connect, collaborate and share knowledge and experience with other members. I also really value the webinars, discussion groups and general sense of a collaborative environment that the platform brings. I think Yocova is definitely evolving in the right direction, and as the community grows, I look forward to the opportunity to connect with and exchange ideas with others and hope that continues to increase as well.”
Finally, would you have advice for young people trying to succeed in the industry?
“There are many different opportunities in aviation but I would offer out the same advice my mentors gave to me, which is to take every opportunity that comes your way and learn ‘like a sponge’!”
For more information, to contact or collaborate, contact Jingru on Yocova via her personal profile.
Article published 11th May 20201
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