The U.S. Department of Labor’s North Texas Job Corps Center will partner with US Aviation Academy to train the next generation of aviation maintenance technicians via a new program.
The North Texas Job Corps Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Advanced Training Program offers free training to income-eligible Texas residents ages 18–24 who have completed a foundational Job Corps training program. Preference is given to students who have completed a construction or automotive industry program.
Job Corps’ first aviation pathway is a fast-track program, with 12 months of instruction in general, airframe and powerplant courses instead of the typical 24 months. It is one of only seven schools in the United States that offer a 12-month aviation maintenance training program, according to program partner AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators. The new program’s first cohort of 10 students begins classes in November. Graduates are qualified and eligible to gain an Airframe and Powerplant license upon graduation with no other training or apprenticeship required.
“Over the last year, AAR, Job Corps and US Aviation Academy have remained laser-focused on creating this transformational opportunity for students in North Texas,” said Ryan Goertzen, VP, Maintenance Workforce Development at AAR. “This initiative builds on AAR’s very successful EAGLE Career Pathway Program and enables students from across the 121 Job Corps centers to secure careers in aviation maintenance with AAR.”
The Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook Study for 2022 shows a global need for 610,000 technicians, with 134,000 being in North America. With heavy industry growth and demand, AAR approached North Texas Job Corps and US Aviation Academy to create a partnership to positively impact the aviation workforce.
“US Aviation Academy is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps and build on their 58-year history of helping young men and women obtain specialized skills training,” said Mike Sykes, CEO at US Aviation. “This partnership will provide the graduates an excellent career opportunity as an FAA-licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic while helping address the critical labor shortage in the aviation industry.”
The Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Advanced Training Program is the first aviation program available at a Job Corps campus and is available only at the North Texas Job Corps Center in McKinney, Texas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for aviation mechanics in 2021 was $66,000 per year, or $32 per hour. Top mechanics for airlines can make more than $200,000 per year.
“This is a great opportunity for students to become young professionals in the mechanical aviation industry,” said Bobby Brown, center director at North Texas Job Corps Center. “This is also a great example of the public and private sectors’ coming together on solutions that benefit both. That’s how Job Corps works.”
Job Corps is free for economically disadvantaged students who meet the eligibility requirements, and students can apply and enroll at any time. Job Corps provides hands-on career skills training, on-campus housing, meals, health care and job search assistance. Applicants may qualify if they receive SNAP, TANF, or free or reduced school lunch, or if they are experiencing homelessness or are a foster youth.
There are four Job Corps centers in Texas: David L. Carrasco (in El Paso), Gary (in San Marcos), Laredo and North Texas (in McKinney). They offer career skills training in high-growth industry sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive and Machine Repair, Construction, Finance and Business, Health Care, Homeland Security, Hospitality, and Transportation.
Administered by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and established in 1964, Job Corps has 121 centers located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
For more information about Job Corps, or to begin the enrollment process, visit jobcorps.gov or call 800-733-JOBS (5627). Learn more about Job Corps.
