Bipartisan Senate Bill Hopes to Solve Aviation Labor Shortage
To help the U. S. aviation industry close its skills gap and avoid the catastrophic job shortage that was recently forecasted by Boeing, a new job creation bill has been sponsored through bipartisan Senate support. Earlier this year, U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) co-sponsored the new Aviation Maintenance Workforce Development Pilot Program. This bill enjoys strong support from a wide array of aviation organizations, including the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics.
According to Boeing’s estimates, nearly 120,000 new aviation technicians will be needed in North America over the next two decades. But with new entrants projected to make up just 2 percent of that workforce, increasing the public’s awareness of this employment opportunity is crucial to attracting a new generation of workers to keep America’s aviation industry moving.
The bill would allocate $5 million each year from 2019 to 2020 for grants of up to $500,000 that the Federal Aviation Administration could award to workforce development initiatives, including scholarships, trainee outreach, and helping veterans transition to new careers. Senate supporters have commented that the aviation maintenance industry contributes $44 billion to our economy, but is struggling from a severe shortage of skilled workers. Senator Moran noted in introducing the bill that this legislation encourages public/private collaboration to support technical education and career development on a local level and that incentivizing Americans to pursue technical careers in this field will help fill good-paying jobs.
“The aviation industry faces a huge and immediate training challenge that has the potential to critically impact a variety of major U.S. industries,” says PIA President Suzanne Markle. “Airframe and Powerplant mechanics are expected to retire at record rates over the next two decades, and replacing these experienced technicians with new talent is critical. This bill will help provide our industry with the means to make tomorrow’s aviation maintenance professionals aware of this amazing opportunity and attract a new generation of technicians to fill that crucial skills gap.” PIA’s flagship program, the Aviation Maintenance Technology program, has led the aviation industry in providing quality aircraft mechanics for over 85 years. This program provides students with the opportunity to test for the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant Certification.
In addition to A&P mechanics, Boeing also predicts growing demand for commercial pilots (over 600,000) and cabin crew (over 800,000) over the next 20 years.
ABOUT PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS
The school was opened by Glenn Curtiss and Orville Wright in 1927 as Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, and became PIA in 1929. Today, PIA is a non-profit, career-focused family of schools offering programs in Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Electronics.
The instructional staff combine real-world experience with classroom instruction, and a wide range of student and graduate services. PIA’s Career Services team works individually with each student to reach their employment goals. PIA is often the first stop for many employers looking for quality employees. PIA offers an Associate in Specialized Technology Degree at its West Mifflin, PA, location and Diploma programs in Youngstown, OH, Hagerstown, MD, and Myrtle Beach, SC.
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics was recognized among the top schools fighting the nation’s skills gap in a list published in 2017 by Forbes. The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics lands as the No. 11 Two-Year Trade School in the U.S. and is the top school on the list for technical trades.
Niche rankings place Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in the #8 position among 619 trade schools in the United States for 2017 and #2 of 23 in Pennsylvania. Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of data and reviews. Additionally, in 2017, Zippia placed PIA among the top 10 best U.S. junior colleges for jobs based on a variety of score card data including emphasis on job placement results.
PIA’s campuses in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Hagerstown and Myrtle Beach have been selected as four of approximately 40 aircraft maintenance schools to partner with Delta Air Lines in an effort to find the schools whose graduates are able to meet or exceed their high expectations. There is open enrollment through the year accompanied with admissions requirements. For more information, call 1-800-444-1440, or visit www.pia.edu.
