Workforce & Job Trend - Recent Aviation Career Fairs Attracting More Jobs Than Available Graduates

April 11, 2017
The demand for graduates is a strong indicator of career trends for the region, as well as in Youngstown where Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics is expanding facilities, in Hagerstown, MD, and Myrtle Beach, SC, where PIA also has campuses.
PITTSBURGH —- Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics campuses in Pittsburgh and Hagerstown have been hosting their traditional career fairs this spring. They’re pretty standard events, matching potential employers with jobs to fill with credentialed aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians.
What’s particularly interesting is that with all of the available graduates from PIA’s Pittsburgh, Hagerstown, MD and Youngstown, OH soon-to-be graduates attending these events, there are more jobs to fill than graduates expected at the event (by far). And with demand increase, salaries tend to follow - see below for PIA graduate salaries and click here for more info and a variety of interesting graduate career stories. http://pia.edu/career-services/
With air travel on the rise and aircraft support services following suit, today, nearly 700,000 direct employees in the U.S. airline industry usher some 2 million people traveling domestically and internationally on 27,000 flights per day, according to industry trade group Airlines for America. The number of air travelers across the globe stands to nearly double in the next two decades, with the global trade group International Air Transport Association projecting 7.2 billion passengers a year by 2035, up from 2016's 3.8 billion. (According to a recent report by CNBC)
Adding to the industry's optimism is the White House's new focus on creating American jobs. 
Republic Airlines is one of  more than 40 employers with jobs to fill in aviation maintenance and aviation technology.  “As one of the country’s largest regional airlines, Republic Airline is always looking for highly skilled maintenance technicians, and PIA graduates fit that bill,” said Lisa Shoopman, Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant at Republic. “Republic is one of the few carriers that services aircraft for all three mainline carriers – American, Delta and United. Combine that with our ultra-modern fleet of Embraer 170/175 aircraft, premiere maintenance locations and a flight route map that covers half the country, and there simply is no smarter employment destination choice.”  Further, aircraft maintenance is expected to see 6-percent growth in the next decade, according U.S. statistics, and that means solid job opportunities for graduating mechanics specializing in composites, sheet metal and avionics. “Republic is growing its fleet by 16 percent this year, and that means maintenance needs across our system, including right here in PIA’s backyard of Pittsburgh International Airport, where one of every three domestic flights is operated by Republic,” Shoopman said.
PIA has been here in Pittsburgh for nearly a century, and the demand for graduates is a strong indicator of career trends for the region, as well as in Youngstown where PIA is expanding facilities, in Hagerstown, MD and Myrtle Beach, SC where PIA also has campuses.
“That we are hosting events where more employers than students attend is as strong an indicator of career demand and helps us connect employers with the entry-level mechanic skills they are looking for,” said Steve Sabold. “The region has a strong history in aviation, and PIA continues to play a large part in the growth and development of the industry.” According to Boeing’s 2015 Current Market Outlook, the aviation industry will require more than one million new aviation personnel—with a need for 118,000 maintenance technicians by 2035.
According to PIA Career Services officials, employers are seeking A&P mechanics, mechanical skills, strong soft skills, leadership qualities and dependability - all skills required to grow and advance within a company.
Since 1929, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics campus has been training certified and work-ready aviation maintenance technicians in high demand with programs in Aviation Maintenance Technology and Aviation Electronics. PIA’s flagship program, the Aviation Maintenance Technology program, has led the industry in providing quality aircraft mechanics for over 85 years. This program provides students with the opportunity to test for the prestigious FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant Certification, the “golden ticket” to a career in aviation maintenance.
About Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics   The school was opened by Glenn Curtiss and Orville Wright in 1927 as Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, and became PIA in 1929. PIA offers “hands-on” training for traditional and non- traditional students in Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Electronics. The instructional staff combine real world experience with class room instruction for an outstanding education. PIA also provides a wide range of student services while the student is in school, and after graduation.  The Career Services Department works one on one with students to reach their employment goals. PIA is often the first stop for many employers looking for quality employees. PIA offers an Associate in Specialized Technology Degree at its West Mifflin, PA location and Diploma programs in Youngstown, OH, Hagerstown, MD, and Myrtle Beach, SC.  There is open enrollment through the year accompanied with admissions requirements. For more information, call 1-800-444-1440, or visit www.pia.edu.