Look around you; you likely see different people, with different roles and specialties working together on a civil aircraft or component. To the federal government, though, you’re all the same … unless you’re an avionics technician.
Are avionics technicians unique among all other aviation maintenance professionals? Washington says “yes”; avionics technicians are the only subcategory of aviation maintenance workers for federal statistical purposes. There is no distinction for the positions that require an FAA certificate, even among avionics technicians.
The reason is the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The SOC system is the source of occupational data upon which federal statistical agencies are required to rely. The system classifies workers into a hierarchy of categories in order to more consistently collect, track, and disseminate data on the American work force. These classifications are the basis for all federal statistical analyses, including those published by O*NET Online — the foremost resource for career exploration, the Census Bureau and the Government Accountability Office. Ensuring accuracy in the system really matters to the individuals working in an industry, those considering joining the workforce, American business, and the national economy.
Without an accurate framework, work force issues become much harder to understand. The aviation maintenance industry faces this very challenge. The SOC is an intricate hierarchy with distinctions drawn according to the tasks performed. Not all aviation maintenance workers can perform the same tasks, which begs the question: Why are they all thrown together into one classification regardless of certification or specialization?
What should the classifications look like? How can the government best describe the aviation maintenance workforce? These are questions that the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) with the support of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) is asking industry and government to work out. It is essential to creating an accurate understanding of the occupational landscape in aviation maintenance.
The SOC system is currently under revision, and there is no time like the present to encourage the SOC Policy Committee — the interagency group charged with updating and maintaining relevance of the SOC structure — to reconsider the one-size-fits-all categorization of aviation maintenance workers. The committee is set to release recommended changes to the classifications in spring 2015. Commenting on those recommendations will be essential to ensuring revisions of the SOC structure reflect the true requirements and characteristics of the aviation maintenance workforce.
Look around that hangar again; isn’t it time Washington sees what you see? Some of you are required to hold certificates from another government agency. That distinction should be essential to collecting, tracking, and disseminating data on the aviation work force. Make sure the government properly understands your work and captures the data necessary to ensure a healthy future for the industry. When it comes to building and maintaining the aviation work force, one size does not fit all.
Stay tuned as ARSA (arsa.org) and ATEC (www.atec-amt.org/) work to improve the SOC system.
Laura Vlieg is an associate at the law firm of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, where she also serves ARSA as a regulatory affairs manager.
