WASHINGTON – Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein released the following statement in response to the House Education & Workforce Committee’s unanimous passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353). The legislation would reauthorize federal career technical education programs with the goal of better preparing workers for high demand careers. ARSA is the trade association for the aviation maintenance and manufacturing sector. The association recently estimated that if open technician positions in the industry go unfilled, repair stations could miss out on as much as $1.95 billion in economic activity in 2017.
“ARSA commends Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott and all the House Education & Workforce Committee members for working together to make career technical education a top priority.
“The aviation maintenance industry’s technical worker shortage is undermining productivity and growth. Well-paying aviation technician jobs are going unfilled because companies can’t find workers with the necessary skills. Of course, our industry is not alone in facing this challenge.
“By itself, reauthorizing the Perkins Act won’t solve the problem, but it’s a significant step in the right direction. By, among other things, improving coordination between businesses, schools and government the bill will help ensure Americans are better prepared for 21st century careers in high-tech sectors like ours.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the House Education & Workforce Committee’s leadership to steer this important legislation to enactment.”
ARSA is the only association devoted to the unique needs of the global civil aviation maintenance industry. It is dedicated to helping member companies operate more efficiently and effectively, while continuing to ensure the safety of aircraft worldwide. To learn more about the association’s work on behalf of both industry stakeholders and the flying public, please visit ARSA.org.
