The challenge

Quality aerospace talent is difficult to find, particularly for skilled positions such as aviation mechanics. The challenge will only grow as airlines expand and new technologies such as air taxis demand more highly skilled resources. The pressure on your business to develop and maintain a qualified and diverse workforce will only grow. 

the opportunity

Getting candidates into the aerospace career pipeline is the most important thing we can do to develop high-quality workers. U.S. aviation maintenance schools have capacity and industry has unfilled jobs and apprenticeships—what they need is more candidates. Choose Aerospace focuses on connecting two prime candidate pools—high school students and transitioning military members—to early paths to technical careers with curriculum covering the general knowledge and skill required for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mechanic certification. Financial support from organizations like yours will help Choose Aerospace grow the program, which will increase both the number and quality of aviation mechanic candidates available. 

what is choose aerospace?

A coalition of aerospace stakeholders created Choose Aerospace—a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) partnership—with the mission of growing and diversifying the aerospace technical workforce. We started by creating a computer-based hybrid program designed to provide easy access to aviation maintenance curriculum. Now, we’re getting that program into communities through partnerships with school districts, municipalities, employers, and community-based organizations. Our goal is to enroll 10,000 students across the U.S. by 2027.

why you should invest

Because we’re all in this together, and the challenge isn’t going away. Regardless of where you sit in the supply chain, a steady pipeline of talent flowing into our industry is key to the long-term success of your business. Your support will help Choose Aerospace build and fill that pipeline.

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how your support will help

Contributions from companies like yours will help Choose Aerospace provide a steady, growing stream of candidates. Your support will help build a sustainable organization, enable continual program improvements, remove barriers to adoption, develop and communicate career pathways, connect stakeholders to the pipeline, and target aviation-heavy markets that stand to benefit the most.
Among the specific initiatives that your funding will support: 

• BUILDING THE TEAM. Choose Aerospace’s work is largely carried out by volunteers and funded by founding organizations and a few early donors. Building a sustainable organization with a core team requires stable funding. Corporate support will help provide that strong financial foundation.
• SPREADING THE WORD. Choose Aerospace will develop a marketing campaign targeting high schools, employers, FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician schools, and community-based organizations to create direct-to-work opportunities, apprenticeship models, and credit-transfer prospects for program participants.
• DEVELOPING AN INDUSTRY-BACKED CREDENTIAL. Instruction must culminate in a credential. Choose Aerospace and its partners will develop an industry-recognized credential to verify participant knowledge. This will provide expanded funding opportunities for program adoptees and third-party validation to support matriculation agreements and industry hiring best practices.
• SUBSIDIZING CONTENT LICENSE FEES. Schools that adopt the program and its curriculum incur an annual licensing fee of $200 per student, per year. While many schools can cover these costs through funding sources, Choose Aerospace will remove any financial barriers that impede program adoption.
• FUNDING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. The Choose Aerospace scholarship program will support students moving on to finish their airframe & powerplant certification training.