|
This morning, ATEC Executive Director Crystal Maguire presented a briefing for part 147 programs on how they can utilize the Choose Aerospace aviation maintenance curriculum to grow enrollment of their A&P program. The webinar gave an overview of the curriculum, how and why it was created, and reviewed commonly asked questions (as set forth on our Q&A page).
If you missed the live version, you can still check out the 45-minute recorded version, below. You can also download the slide deck here.
0 Comments
Oklahoma CareerTech programs in high schools and technology centers now have access to free aviation maintenance technical curriculum. The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education recently signed a contract with Choose Aerospace to provide the curriculum to any school in the state that decides to deploy an aviation maintenance program. “At CareerTech, what we work off of is demand,” said Brent Haken, Oklahoma CareerTech state director. “We don’t create a supply of workforce; we create a workforce because of the demand that’s out there in the industry, and that’s why Oklahoma CareerTech is so strong, why we’ve been so nimble, and that’s what we’re doing in the aerospace industry.” Aerospace is the No. 2 industry in Oklahoma, Haken said, but there is a growing need for more certified mechanics. According to the Aviation Technician Education Council, the current pipeline will need to increase by 20% across the country to meet the national need for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificated mechanics.
“Oklahoma CareerTech is working to meet those needs through Choose Aerospace,” Haken said. “We are working right now to make sure every CareerTech school has licenses for any student that’s enrolled in those programs and wants to take part in Choose Aerospace. We’re going to make sure that happens through the Department of CareerTech,” he said. “The program was created to fill a very specific need,” said Choose Aerospace president and AAR Vice President Workforce Development Ryan Goertzen. “Student that graduate from the program have the opportunity to go directly to work as a non-certificated technician, or matriculate into an FAA-certificated school to finish their airframe and powerplant training.” The funding is part of the mission to remove barriers to adoption, said Goertzen. “We work very closely with state governments and industry supporters to ensure that cost is never the reason a high school declines to start an aviation maintenance program. “A few Oklahoma schools used the Choose Aerospace curriculum last year at a cost of $200 per student,” said Tonja Norwood, manager of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics education division at Oklahoma CareerTech. “Now it will be free, so schools can teach the curriculum at no cost.” Oklahoma CareerTech is paying for the curriculum with federal grant money received through the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The act, commonly called Perkins V, is designed to provide students across the country with opportunities to develop skills and earn certifications that will help them advance in their careers. The CareerTech STEM division has worked with Choose Aerospace to approve the coursework for Oklahoma’s Promise credit. High schools expected to teach the curriculum in the state of Oklahoma include Broken Arrow Public Schools, Chelsea High School, Moore Public Schools, Putnam City Schools, and Yukon Public Schools. The 2022-23 academic year saw the first cohort of Choose Aerospace students across the country. Sixteen schools enrolled two hundred students last year, that number is expected to double for the 2023-24 academic year. For more information, visit chooseaerospace.org/curriculum. About Oklahoma CareerTech The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education provides leadership and resources and assures standards of excellence for a comprehensive statewide system of career and technology education. The system offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 60 campuses, 391 PK-12 school districts, 17 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 32 adult education and family literacy providers. The agency is governed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education and works closely with the State Department of Education and the State Regents for Higher Education to provide a seamless educational system for all Oklahomans. About Choose Aerospace Choose Aerospace is a year-old partnership of aerospace stakeholders including companies, associations, labor unions and education institutions, joined to address the availability of a diverse, qualified technical workforce and to spur interest in aerospace careers, and identify and implement solutions to the aerospace workforce shortage. A primary objective for Choose Aerospace is to make aerospace career and technical training a priority in secondary schools and to provide multiple career paths to success within the industry. Last month, Choose Aerospace hosted an outreach event in conjunction with a two-day teacher training in Tulsa. The outreach meeting discussed topics including implementation of the curriculum into local high schools as well as an Aviation Showcase where industry partners took time to talk with schools in attendance about job opportunities available to students completing the curriculum. Over 70 attendees representing 20 schools were in attendance. Employers that were showcased included AAR, American Airlines, Tinker Airforce Base, Nordam, TAT Limco Airepair, Computer System Designers, United Airlines, Air Force Sustainment Center, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, and Southwest Airlines. Check out this video and slides from the meeting. The outreach meeting was followed up by two days of training for teachers enrolled in the curriculum to include an overview of the instructor dashboard and best practices, as well as new hands-on projects to be implemented into the curriculum beginning this fall. Special thanks to the following ATEC A&P instructors for building and training on hands-on projects:
Thanks to generous donors, schools were placed in a drawing for prizes that will aid in the hands-on aspects of their program. Spring Valley High School out of West Virginia was the winner of a toolbox provided by Snap-on, and Putnam City North High School out of Oklahoma was the winner of a safety wire box donated by the Aerospace Maintenance Council. Each school in attendance was also given a set of Sonic Tools screwdrivers, provided by AAR. During the awards luncheon at the ATEC Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, thirty-two students, one instructor, and five schools were recognized as this year's recipients for the Choose Aerospace Scholarship Program. Over $45,000 in licensing fees, training systems, cash awards, books, testing fees and more were awarded. A big thank you to all the donors for making it possible, and congratulations to the recipients.  Choose Aerospace will provide over $40,000 worth of scholarships, textbooks, training systems, tools, and testing fee credits to educators and future aviators.
The non-profit organization, managed by the Aviation Technician Education Council, is in its fourth award season. This year's donors include Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA), Nida Corporation, AVOTEK, Aircraft Technical Book Company, CertTEC, Sonic Tools, and Northrop Rice Foundation. Newcomers this year are ARCS Aviation and Aviation Workforce Solutions, each providing cash awards. Choose Aerospace has shifted gears with their award and for the first time will be awarding $2,000 to two high schools that are interested in implementing the Choose Aerospace Curriculum. The scholarship will cover licensing fees for 10 students for one year. Eligible applicants must be planning to attend, enrolled at or teach in an aviation technical program. ATEC membership is not required but is a consideration for the review committee when selecting award recipients. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023. If you or someone you know would like to serve on the review committee, please email tarra.ruttman@chooseaerospace.org.  As part of its ongoing effort to further aviation technical education, Choose Aerospace Executive Director Crystal Maguire joined Helicopter Association International (HAI), Southern Utah University, and other Utah-based educators, operators, and government stakeholders for an Aviation Workforce Development Roundtable in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The event, organized by US Representative Burgess Owens (R-UT-4), discussed ways to build on the success of HAI's Utah Rotor Pathway Program, an initiative created to address the shortage of helicopter pilots and maintenance professionals. The purpose of the roundtable, hosted by the Office of Aeronautics Division of the Utah Department of Transportation, was to identify federal resources available to support aviation workforce efforts. HAI's Rotor Pathway Program brings together industry, universities, and high schools to provide helicopter pilot and maintenance training at the high school level. Choose Aerospace was happy to join the conversation to share curriculum resources available to high school programs that wan to create aviation maintenance pathways for their students. As of today, 17 schools and 580 students are utilizing the Choose Aerospace aviation maintenance curriculum, putting individuals on a direct path to careers in aviation maintenance. Choose Aerospace was on of 56 recipients across Oklahoma to receive funding from the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC), intended to help guide young minds toward aerospace and aviation careers. The funding will cover licensing fees for select Oklahoma schools adopting the Choose Aerospace curriculum.
The OAC has become a driving force behind the state’s investment in aerospace educational programs, vectoring students toward becoming aviators, engineers, mechanics, astronauts, and scientists. Fifty-six organizations were awarded Aerospace and Aviation Education Program grants totaling $451,157. Grants are for targeted learning programs that have a direct application to aerospace and aviation for primary through post-secondary education. The grant funds are part of the agency’s initiative to give more Oklahoma young people access to STEM careers in the aerospace and aviation industry. The agency’s Aerospace and Aviation Education Grant Program has been awarding aerospace and aviation education grants for over 30 years. Programs that are supported range from a dedicated 4-year high school curriculum such as the AOPA “You Can Fly” effort, to week-long summer camps offered by our major Universities, a build and fly drone racing competition, Tinker AFB Air and Space Show, a 2-year high school curriculum dedicated to teaching aircraft mechanics, activities and tours at various airports across the system, engineering fairs and many others. These programs along with Commission staff will help foster students’ interest in the industry and encourages them to consider aerospace or aviation as a career. Based on projections, the programs that have been awarded funding will reach nearly 50,000 students across the state. The initiative supports the Oklahoma Works project that aims to address the skills gap and connect students to programs that will help build the workforce of Oklahoma’s second-largest industry. Choose Aerospace is proud to announce its slate of 2022 scholarship and award recipients. This year, a host of partner organizations sponsored over $50,000 worth of scholarships, textbooks, tool sets, training systems, and testing fee credits for educators and future aviators. The entire slate of award winners are as follows:  Thanks to our generous donors To donate to the 2023 program, please visit: chooseaerospace.org/scholarship-donor-form
ATEC's foundational arm, Choose Aerospace, is piloting testing aviation maintenance curriculum for deployment in a high school setting. The computer-based content covers the general subject areas in emerging mechanic airman certification standards and provides a unique opportunity for part 147 schools looking to increase program awareness in their communities. The webinar, directed at a part 147 audience, will provide an overview of the curriculum, suggestions on how a part 147 program can structure matriculation agreements with high school partners, and a summary of what is required to adopt and implement the content.
For more information, visit https://www.chooseaerospace.org/curriculum.html. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation and Space Education Airport Design Challenge registration opens November 1, 2021.
This annual competition is an opportunity for K-12 students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects to meet aviation professionals and learn about the aerospace industry and STEM concepts and careers. “The Airport Design Challenge is a perfect fit of science, technology, engineering and math which is so much a part of what we do at the FAA and so important to pass on to the next generation.” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. The Airport Design Challenge helps students use the Microsoft game Minecraft to design virtual airports based on guidance from FAA aerospace and engineering experts. Students will collaborate in small teams to learn about their local airports and to complete developmental tasks in Minecraft. During the five weeks of organized lesson plans, participants will cover topics ranging from airport layout, pavement and lighting to structures and innovative growth. Program facilitators will use weekly knowledge-check quizzes and screen shots of students’ designs to assess progress and provide feedback. “The one thing that I found most intriguing about this whole program, was that the Airport Design Challenge allows students of all ages to compete at a global level, while also being able to have fun and learn at the same time,” said Arjun Saini a lead on Team Aireos, which placed in the top three during last year’s Challenge. Collaborative work between students, parents and facilitators will focus on applying STEM-based knowledge in math, engineering and career development. While participants are encouraged to form teams of up to five members, they may also participate individually. The virtual event is open to both U.S. and international students. Last year, approximately 800 students participated and many more are expected this year. The FAA Airport Design Challenge website has more information about the competition and how to register. |
RSS Feed
|
© 2021 Choose Aerospace, Inc.
501(c)(3) non-profit careers@chooseaerospace.org • 703.548.2030 P.O. BOX 234 • JENKS, OK 74037 |