A new education initiative aims to equip local students with a degree and a lucrative aircraft maintenance certification by the time they graduate. The proposed school, which is nearing completion, is the result of years of cooperation between local businesses, the Blount Partnership and Pellissippi State Community College.
The project has been a long time coming, Blount Partnership Director of Workforce Development Jessica Belitz said. About 7-8 years ago, a collaborative group of companies and others with an interest in the local aviation industry met to discuss the need for all aviation-related jobs. Airframe and powerplant mechanics — skilled laborers trained to work on the body and insides of aircraft — quickly rose to the top of that list.
“Those companies and the military invited Blount Partnership and others to join those meetings, and we started looking at how to get a program up and running,” said Belitz.
By the time the pandemic hit, the need for licensed mechanics had continued to rise. The starting wage for an A&P mechanic in Blount County, Belitz said, is around $63,000 these days, but can easily go higher.
Education
Now, the project is well underway. The cooperative has obtained a building in Maryville for hands-on instruction, and Pellissippi State is also working to obtain approval for the classroom side of the process. Courses must receive the green light from not only the usual boards but also the FAA.
The idea is to give students a balanced education so they can not only work in the aircraft industry but also pursue further education if they want, Pellissippi Vice President of External Affairs Patty Weaver told The Daily Times. Students will have a valuable A&P certification by graduation alongside an associate’s degree in applied science.
“They will come out with a degree and a certification, so that’s a great opportunity for the students,” she said. “But it could also open the doors if they want to go back to school.”
She said general education courses required of all students, such as English classes, will be taught at the Pellissippi campus in Blount County, while actual work on the machines will be in the warehouse-like building in Maryville. Partners like Endeavor Air, StandardAero, Cirrus Aircraft and the Air National Guard’s 134th Air Refueling Wing stationed at McGhee Tyson are donating tools, parts, and other equipment.
The group hopes to get students to hands-on instruction by the fall of 2025, with the opportunity to start classroom work in the spring.
Retention
The National Guard, Belitz said, has a vested interest in local aircraft mechanic training. Staff have been working to make the McGhee Tyson airbase the newest base for the Air Force’s KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, and trained A&P mechanics will help their cause.
“What’s important for their future is that plane would require an A&P certified worker to check off the maintenance,” Belitz said.
Certifications also help guard members move up in the field and make them more attractive to employers if they transition to civilian life.
The goal is to keep more of Blount County’s youth in the area. The closest A&P training facilities are hours away, Belitz said, and by the time those years of training are over, students may not want to return to the region. And even though a certification like this is lucrative across the nation, she’s spoken to workers who wished they could have gotten this training closer to home.
“We talk a lot about retaining our young talent,” she said. “This is a fantastic way to do that.
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