Career Colleges and Technical Schools Play a Key Role in Addressing Demand for Aviation Maintenance Technicians

The fact that the aviation industry is experiencing a critical shortage of certified maintenance technicians has been well documented by leading aircraft manufacturers and media such as Aircraft Maintenance Technology Magazine, Forbes,The Wall Street Journal and numerous others over recent years. The 2019 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook estimates that 769,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed between 2019 and 2038, along with 804,000 new civil aviation pilots and 769,000 new cabin crew to maintain a worldwide fleet of aircraft.

Stresses on the entire aviation ecosystem have intensified due to other serious issues such as labor disputes and the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max. Regardless of the reasons, the demand for FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant technicians is great. Aircraft manufacturers, commercial airlines of all sizes, fixed base operators and third-party maintenance and repair service providers are all competing for the same pool of A&P technicians. The race is on for employers to recruit and hire newly certified A&Ps and to provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities their team members.

Fast-Track to Workplace Readiness

According to the BLS, employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is projected to grow at a rate of three percent from 2018 to 2028, which is slower than the average for all occupations in the U.S. However, employment opportunities are expected to remain good because of the rate at which veteran techs are retiring out of the profession. The BLS also reports that 90 percent of certified A&Ps are earning more than $47.08 per hour or $97,820, with 50 percent of them earning $30.25 an hour or $62,920 annually.

This higher earning potential for aircraft maintenance technicians is especially appealing to mechanically-inclined high school graduates, “career changers” of all ages and military veterans who find that attending a two-year career college or vocational technical school is the most practical and most cost-effective choice for them. Students typically can choose to pursue a 20-month A&P technician’s certificate or a 24-month program to complete an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

Not surprisingly, faculty and staff of many US-based career schools that offer aviation maintenance programs are seeing spikes in student enrollment and positive outcomes for their graduates, which prompts the “good problem” of needing to expand their educational and training facilities and/or offer both day and night classes at the same institution.

Although an FAA-approved mechanic’s certificate is not required to work on aircraft, most airlines do require the certification as part of the hiring process. Also, without an FAA mechanic’s certificate, a technician cannot release an aircraft to service. The advantage of obtaining an FAA A&P certification is that it remains valid until surrendered, suspended or revoked. This is a far better option than having a repairman certificate that ends when a person leaves his or her employer. Mechanics with an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate will typically have more job opportunities than their non-certified counterparts. Also, the potential of higher pay is greater for those with an FAA aviation mechanic’s certificate. Due to the “real world” experience requirement, an FAA approved aviation mechanics license is usually acquired through the military, work apprenticeships or through an FAA approved Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School. In fact, military veterans and aviation industry employers turn to career schools for supplemental aviation maintenance training and skills development.

When choosing an aviation maintenance technical training program at either a private or public institution, students will have many factors to consider:

Availability of upfront career guidance and assessment of aptitude for the profession using a tool such as the “Career Training Readiness Quiz”
Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified via the Department of Homeland Security to ensure to accept international students (if the prospective student is not a U.S. citizen)
The reputation and culture of the school (look for accreditations by such organizations as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, the FAA, the Department of Veterans Affairs and others)
Classrooms, hangar facilities, study labs, digital and physical libraries or learning centers, computers, and course materials conducive to learning
Online course offerings or on campus course offerings to match the student’s existing work schedule or preferred learning style as well as prospective employers’ needs
Verifiable aviation industry experience of instructors and staff
Condition and type of aviation equipment and tools used in the program
Tutoring and study assistance to adequately prepare for the Federal Aviation Administration testing and certification process
Financial assistance
Housing assistance
Support for development of a resume, interviewing skills, and coaching to improve communications skills, problem-solving skills, leadership skills, and project management skills
Involvement of employers in development of the curricula
Access to future employers in terms of guest speakers, field trips, internships or part-time work opportunities
Proof of positive employment rate post-graduation
Ongoing training opportunities and workshop offerings post-graduation
Access to an alumni network

Additionally, a thorough review of the course catalog and a personal or virtual tour of the campus before enrolling in any aviation maintenance program will lead the prospective student or employee seeking continuing professional development to a well-informed decision — which ultimately produces a better educational and training experience and greater student satisfaction.

Benefits of Aviation Industry Engagement with Career Colleges

Everyone wins when industry representatives are actively engaged with career and technical educational institutions. Aviation associations, major commercial airlines, regional carriers, fixed base operators, corporate aviation departments, private airports and aircraft service providers of all types have been launching special workforce development initiatives to address the need for mechanics that extends far beyond the U.S.

Training at MIAT College of Technology and other career colleges along with seminars hosted by the National Business Aviation Association and many others are equipping men and women of all ages with the skills to become an aircraft maintenance technician. Airlines and aircraft service operators are ramping up internships, “externships” (paid on-the-job-training opportunities), job fairs and recruiting missions at career colleges such as MIAT. Many are hosting field trips to their maintenance and repair facilities.

Airline industry representatives from United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Western Aviation and Standard Aero are just some of the aviation industry leaders that serve as members of MIAT’s Program Advisory Committee at the Houston campus. They also serve as guest speakers for classes and commencement ceremonies. As classroom sponsors, United and Spirit decorate MIAT’s classrooms with branded posters and information to keep them “top of mind” among the student population.

Joe Condelo, maintenance manager at United Airlines’ Bush Intercontinental Airport maintenance facility and an MIAT Program Advisory Committee member, served as a featured speaker at MIAT’s Houston campus graduation ceremony in April 2019. Condelo spoke not only about the growth of the industry and career opportunities ahead, but also about the importance of key values and character attributes for employees: integrity, a solid work ethic, accountability, responsibility, teamwork and leadership are all essential to succeeding in the workplace.

United Airlines and MIAT have formalized a training agreement for employees and their relatives. Currently, 42 individuals affiliated with United Airlines have enrolled at MIAT’s Houston campus to start or continue their aviation maintenance knowledge and skills development.

On a weekly basis, aviation industry employers of all sizes and specialties are reaching out to faculty and staff to gain access to MIAT graduates. Boeing hired four MIAT students during a recruiting trip several months ago. On another occasion, Spirit representatives interviewed 15 students and hired four for part-time work in the Spirit maintenance hangar at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The Bottom Line

Aviation mechanics are the unseen “wizards behind the curtain” that get the job done and get that job done well.

Every time any of us boards an aircraft in the United States, we can be assured that FAA-certified aircraft maintenance technicians have completed an extensive series of essential checks and repairs required for safe and effective operations of that aircraft. Yet, most of us travelers don’t give much thought to the extensive “behind the scenes” work involved in getting us airborne and then back on the ground.

As long as aircraft are continuing to operate, aircraft mechanics will be needed. And as long as mechanics are needed, so will career and technical educational institutions to train them. The reality is that employers need mechanics faster than our schools can graduate them. The challenge and the opportunity that the aviation industry must address is to encourage more men and women to pursue a career in aviation first and foremost — and then expose them to the positive, long-term personal and professional outcomes that aircraft mechanics can achieve for themselves and those who depend on them. Many would agree that the opportunity to earn $50,000 to $90,000 or more after completing a two-year training program and on-the-job experience is an attractive incentive for any mechanically-inclined man or woman to become a certified aviation mechanic.

John Willis joined MIAT College of Technology as president of the Houston campus in 2015. Enrollment at the Houston campus has grown from 45 students in 2016 to more than 450 in 2019. For more information, please visit www.miat.edu.