FAA Youth Task Force Announces New Members

The Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force (YIATF) welcomed two new members at its second public meeting of the year on March 31, 2022.

Reflecting the commitment to fostering an environment for creative solutions to inspire diversity in the next generation of the aviation workforce, the YIATF recruited aviation and education experts Jewel Fletcher and Andrew Ross support that mission. 

Ms. Fletcher is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in aircraft operations at Vaughn College in New York and serves as the chair of the Student Government Association’s Academic Affairs Committee. She has also been an advocate to double Pell grants for in-need students and served as guest facilitator with the Women in Aviation International 2021 Girls in Aviation Day.

“I hope to bring awareness to youth about the aviation industry and increase their access to aviation careers,” said Ms. Fletcher.

Mr. Ross is a pilot with United Airlines and a core member of the Air Line Pilots Association’s (ALPA) International National Education Committee. In 2015, he founded the ALPA Aviation Collegiate Education (ACE) Club at Lewis University, which provides industry mentorship and leadership opportunities to aspiring aviators. He currently serves as the committee’s liaison to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. In addition, Mr. Ross led the effort to establish an educational scholarship program for ALPA ACE Club students.

“My goals for working with the Task Force are to bring youth into aviation at an early age and to help remove as many barriers for them as possible,” said Mr. Ross.

The Task Force, comprised of aviation leaders from industry and academia, is charged with providing independent recommendations and strategies to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to educate youth on career opportunities in aviation. In addition, the Task Force will identify and recommend opportunities for apprenticeships, workforce-development programs and careers in the aviation for students.

The FAA will use recommendations to encourage U.S. high school students to enroll in aviation career and technical education courses. These include aviation manufacturing and maintenance and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

The Task Force will submit a report of its recommendations and strategies to the FAA Administrator and the appropriate Congressional committees.