Page 25 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 Online Magazine

[ INTERVIEW - AAR ]
For instance, we have found a passionate and innovative partner in Is the company planning partnerships
the City of Chicago, where Mayor Rahm Emanuel supported creation with universities in Asia and other
of an Aviation Futures Training Center to house AAR’s aviation sheet regions? Do you think the programme
metal program. The 12,000-square-foot facility opens in March with can be replicated in another part of
a cohort of students recruited from AAR partner school Aerostars the world?
Avion Institute, a Chicago Public School whose students are primar- We do believe EAGLE can be replicated world-
ily African American.Public-private partnerships provide employers wide. AAR currently isn’t partnering with any
greater access to untapped talent. I do believe once some of these training schools abroad, but we are facilitating
youngsters learn of these careers and the training and financial sup- development of an aviation maintenance facility
port available, more of them will choose aviation. near Nagpur, India, in a joint venture with Indamer
Aviation. Maintenance workers will receive train-
How attractive is the programme for a student? ing under Indamer’s CAR 147 certification and the
Are students guaranteed a job after completing the Government of India’s Skill Development Program
programme? will allow hundreds of students to gain skill sets
We have created a Support Technician job category so that students and employment in Nagpur. However, the initial
can earn while they learn and gain experience inside the MRO, if group of students will receive practical training
not on the aircraft themselves. We also offer up to $15,000 in tuition at one of AAR’s five MRO facilities in the United
reimbursement for students who pursue the FAA A&P mechanics States.
certificate. In states such as Indiana, students enrolled in Vincennes
University’s aviation maintenance program will benefit from employer The percentage of female A&Ps is
training grants of up to $5,000 per person. What’s more, aircraft main- less than 3 percent of the workforce.
tenance and repair positions require industry certification, not four What can be done to attract more
years of college. That holds appeal for students eager to join the women into the industry? The
workforce and avoid student loan debt that can come with a bachelor’s
degree. We grant all EAGLE graduates who are interested in working company’s report on workforce
for AAR an interview. But they are not required to work for us once they shortage recommends focusing
graduate. They will walk away with skills that are in high demand and on the recruitment of discouraged
portable, stackable credentials to fast-track careers at airports, OEMs or underemployed American
and in companion industries such as manufacturing, if they choose. workers, military veterans, and
underrepresented groups such as
How many open positions do you currently have in African Americans, and Latinos. How
your MRO facilities? How soon do you expect to fill achievable is this goal?
these positions? We currently have about 400 open There is an overall lack of awareness of aviation
positions at our five U.S. facilities and two in Canada. maintenance careers. People cannot choose what
One of the major challenges in growing the workforce they don’t know about. So, attracting veterans,
is the dwindling interest of youngsters in aviation women and other underrepresented workers will
careers. Many seats in AMT schools within the U.S. require intense, consistent outreach, improved
visibility of aviation careers, and more educa-
currently go unfilled. What can be done to counter the tion and training initiatives with employer grant
negative perceptions about hands-on skilled labor and support and earn-while-you-learn opportunities.
to make the industry more attractive for the youth? Access is also key, which employers can gain
Employers should emphasize that these jobs pay middle-class wages through strategic partners with schools, state
without incurring the massive debt that can come with a bachelor’s and local economic development organizations,
degree. That training is available and, in some cases, it’s free. That and governments.
having a clearly defined career path takes the guess work out of
where you’ll end up. You’ll be able to track your success every step How much has the delay in FAA’s
of the way. And that these are high-demand jobs in an industry that revamp of its Part 147 training
it a key driver of the economy. Recruitment has been challenged by requirements affected the industry?
negative perceptions of hands-on skilled labor. But we’re starting to Part 147 has not changed significantly in 50
see an uptick in promotion of applies skills and trades to youth at an years, and that has put the onus on employers to
earlier age, and outreach to discouraged workers to enroll in training design and provide instruction aligned with indus-
for jobs that are available now. Among proponents of higher education, try demands in addition to the FAA mandates.
there is a growing recognition of the post-secondary achievements of The FAA is currently working on adopting new
students entering industry-certificated and non-certificated careers Airman Certification Standards. The prescriptive
that do not require a four-year degree. There’s also been improved, curriculum language should be removed to allow
aggregate access to information about aviation skills credentials and educational institutions the flexibility to develop
certifications online. The promise of a bachelor’s degree leading to relevant industry-based curriculum using today’s
a good job eclipsed the career aspirations of countless Millennials educational design methodologies, not the 1900
graduating with four-year degrees following the recession. A two-year hours that is in the current FAA regulation that
degree or industry certification as a pathway to a good paying job is correlates time in the classroom to educational
gaining popularity among next gen workers. outcomes.

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