Landing Good Jobs in Aviation

Citing the critical shortage worldwide of qualified FAA-certified technicians and pilots, Miramar College’s aviation maintenance and operations faculty hosted an Aviation Awareness Day late last spring to discuss with industry leaders how the college can continue to best prepare students for careers in aviation and “get the word out” about the college’s training program – the only FAA-certified Part 141 and 147 programs in San Diego County.

According to Berta Cuaron, Miramar’s dean of technology and math, aviation students, after completing the college program, boast a 98-percent pass rate for FAA certification. With a reputation for excellence, Miramar’s aviation graduates are in demand by the relatively small local aviation industry, but it’s the national cry for qualified technicians, operations personnel and pilots that is fueling the need to recruit more students into the program.

“The inadequate number of aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians in the U.S. is forecast to worsen in the years ahead and threatens to jeopardize both aviation industry expansion and safety unless swift measures are taken to reverse the situation,” cites a recent issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Aviation maintenance technology professor John Shablow addressed the shortage. “Statistics compiled by the U.S. Labor Department indicate that at least 12,000 new airframe and power plant (A&P) mechanics will be needed in the immediate future to keep up with the expansion of the industry and retirement of currently employed mechanics,” he said. “The Labor Department predicts an annual shortage of at least 4,000 mechanics each year and that, by 2006, the industry will need 155,000 mechanics, up 13 percent from the current workforce. Since the only path to a career in the aviation maintenance field is by passing the FAA certification exam after completing an FAA-approved school program, certified schools need to aggressively pursue new recruits.”

According to Vince Jones, president of the Aviation Technical Education Council (ATEC), which represents 151 FAA-approved schools, “We are not seeing significant increases in enrollments to meet projections for mechanics needed in the next five years and beyond.”

Because the number of trained mechanics graduating from programs such as Miramar’s is insufficient to meet the projected demand, graduates who pass the FAA exam are hot commodities in the job market. Shablow says, “They can expect to earn top dollar for their knowledge and skills. Currently, pay for an entry level aviation maintenance position with A&P certification is between $14 and $24 per hour.” He added that at only $11 per credit unit tuition, Miramar’s program is unbeatable. “Private schools charge $18,000 to $20,000 for the same instruction. Why would a student go anywhere else for training?” he asked.

The shortage of qualified pilots and operations personnel is no less critical nationally, according to Don Taylor, director of that segment of training at Miramar College. “For the same reasons as mechanics, pilot retirements and expansion of the airlines are creating a high demand for a new trained, certified workforce,” Taylor said. “About 10,000 new pilots were hired. Airline expansion is expected at the rate of 4 percent per year for the next 10 years, resulting in a 50 percent expansion of the pilot force. Add to that the fact that approxi-mately 50 percent of today’s pilots will retire in the next 10 years and we see that thousands of new pilots are needed.”

Taylor has an added concern about the aviation workforce. “Women pilots make up less than 5 percent of airline cockpit crews. Minorities also occupy only a small percentage of pilot seats and, even though airlines are seeking qualified pilots from underrepresented groups, few minorities are training to be pilots. We must get the word out that great aviation career opportunities await women and minorities.”

Aviation operations alumna Michelle Hovey, captain for American Eagle, wants to encourage women to pursue careers in aviation and get their start at Miramar College. “Even though pilots require a bachelor’s degree, I tell everyone to get those first two years at a community college, like I did,” she states. “The price was right and the classes excellent.” Hovey enthusiastically says, “I love every minute of my job and credit the aviation operations program for my strong foundation. Those first two years were certainly money well spent for me!”