VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The FAA predicts there will be more than 80,000 new positions in aviation maintenance during the next ten years, due mainly to an increase in passenger flights and a retiring and depleting skilled workforce. According to many, the aviation industry is facing a crisis in which demand for mechanics could soon outpace the supply, putting the industry in a tail spin.
Estimates show that 30 to 50 million more people will fly commercial airliners in the United States each year. Experts agree that passenger fleets will double by 2013. This growth means an increasing demand for qualified service technicians.The Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM), is preparing to meet the growing demand for FAA-certified aviation maintenance technicians through their mechanic and avionics technician programs.
AIM has nine campuses nationwide including Atlanta, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Manassas, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Dallas, Houston, and Orlando, as well as a broad national and international recruiting program. AIM has plans to expand into markets where their aviation programs can assist those preparing to be that next generation of mechanics. “By establishing campuses throughout the country, we give the student a choice of locations when entering the training program because it is unlikely this type of advanced training will be available in their home town,” says LaVern Phillips, national director for Aviation Institute of Maintenance.“We are seeing an increase in companies like Boeing, Timco, and Southwest recruiting graduates directly from our AIM campuses,” she adds.
Last year more than 35 percent of AIM graduates were hand-picked by the top aviation companies in the country, and placement rates averaged over 70% among all graduates. New classes start every five weeks, on average.
The AIM campuses graduate about 1,000 students each year from their 18-month training program. These students are then eligible to take the FAA exams necessary to obtain a mechanic’s certificate with rating in Airframe and Powerplant, commonly known as an A&P license. AIM has provided highly skilled aviation maintenance technicians to the aviation industry for more than a decade.
For more information, call Shellee Casiello at (757)490-3151 or send an email to [email protected].
