Page 24 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 Online Magazine

[ INTERVIEW - AAR ]

Building

the Pipeline

Even as the aviation industry braces itself for as Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative that AAR is participating in with
the worst of the aviation maintenance technician Vincennes University lifts some of the financial burden off employers
(AMT) shortage, MRO major AAR has introduced to fund training. The industry should do more to raise visibility of these
an initiative intended to help build the aviation careers and to retain A&P candidates. Only 60% who complete training
maintenance workforce. AAR’s Eagle Career elect to take the FAA mechanic certification test. But we cannot do
Pathway Programme, which was introduced in it alone. Government, business and educators’ collaboration is key to
October 2018 in partnership with various schools implementing winning strategies.
in the US, aims to nurture young talent and build
the next generation of skilled mechanics by pro- The EAGLE Career Pathway Programme was introduced
viding a systematic path for high school students in October last year. When was it conceived and how
to become AMTs. Students who complete the long did it take for the company to put it in place?
program will have the option of either joining the Last summer, we created a position at AAR, VP of workforce devel-
AAR workforce or any other MRO. The company’s opment, and hired Ryan Goertzen to enhance our existing programs
initiative comes at a time when Boeing has fore- and partnerships and identify new ones. He developed a maintenance
cast a demand for more than 750,000 new AMTs career path for AAR that is advanced through industry skills creden-
until 2037. The Asia Pacific region alone will need tials, and EAGLE Career Pathway was born. Since then, we have
257,000 new technicians while North America will introduced the program in five cities, with two more anticipated in the
require 189,000 new mechanics. coming months.

The career pathway program is currently limited The EAGLE curriculum was initially developed by AAR with Francis
to the US, but the company believes it can be rep- Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City in 2006. AAR had exist-
licated worldwide, John Holmes, AAR’s President ing training partnerships with schools in Indianapolis, Rockford and
and CEO, tells Arun Sivasankaran in an interview. Duluth, but EAGLE enhances the curriculum and the job experience
for students, including job shadowing and mentoring. Students will also
Do you think the industry is receive academic support. Not every EAGLE partnership is alike. At
collectively doing enough to address Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, which is not an FAA Part 147 school,
the shortage of aviation maintenance only AAR’s 300-hour sheet metal course is being offered, starting in
technicians? March. Composites and aviation electronics coursework will be phased
The industry has made great strides to address in over the next two years.
the shortage in the past year. With bipartisan
support in Congress, the industry successfully Did the partnerships with the universities come easy?
lobbied for updates to FAA training protocols and Do you expect such partnerships to increase the
to include workforce development provisions from attractiveness of aviation careers among youngsters?
companion legislation in both houses of Congress Most AAR partner schools are in or near major aviation hubs. Educators
in the FAA Reauthorization bill. Federally funded and government officials in these cities possess a broader understand-
employer training grants and state programs such ing of the workforce demand and have been eager to work with us.

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