Cape Cod Community College will begin its next series of Aviation Maintenance Technology classes on Monday January 22nd, and a few openings remain in this class that in 14 months will be preparing for FAA Certification exams in Airframe and Power Plant maintenance and repair. This unique intensive-training program puts students into the industry easily a year or more ahead of more traditionally delivered programs.
Within its first class of 16 graduates, some have joined Cape Air in Hyannis, others have taken jobs in other parts of the country, and still others will begin studying to complete the Associate of Applied Science Degree at CCCC. One student’s goal is a Mechanical Engineering degree from UMass.
The College is eager to fill the open slots in the January class because the industry is truly desperate for more graduates. An April 2017 Forbes Magazine feature article noted that the need is truly acute.
“A shortage of aviation mechanics within the next decade threatens the projected expansion and modernization of the global airline fleet…Between now and 2027, a record number of maintenance technicians will be eligible to retire as more baby boomers reach their sixties. For example, in the US, the median age of aviation mechanics is 51 years old, nine years older than the median age of the broader US workforce as calculated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
The article goes on to say, “The aging of the mechanic workforce and the rash of anticipated retirements could not come at a worse time for the industry, as it gears up to accommodate a larger, newer, and more technologically advanced fleet. The Oliver Wyman Fleet Forecast shows global airlines adding 10,133 planes by 2027, growing the fleet by 40 percent to 35,501. This reflects purchases of 20,444 next-generation aircraft in those 10 years and the retirement of 10,311 planes. The Asian fleet will double in size over the next decade and, beginning next year, will become the largest region.”
The true question is, who will maintain and repair all those aircraft. With starting salaries in the $40K to $60K range, plus rapid advancement in major airlines hubs up to six figures, it can be a very lucrative career.
Cape Cod Community College has opened transfer pathways with Quinsigamond CC in Worcester, Massasoit CC in Brockton, and Bristol CC in Fall River, and will continue to seek additional partnerships.
The Plymouth Municipal Airport is home to the College’s state-of-the-art, hands-on training center, one of only six in the country with this intensive training model. With 14 months from start to finish, students see the benefits from their education and training very quickly. Aviation industry recruiters from manufacturers, to commercial airlines, are regularly visiting the training center to educate students about employment options. Graduates have many options from which to choose upon graduation.
The next class of AMT students will enter the program January 22, and a few openings in the14 month program. Individuals are invited to inquire about enrolling, and Financial Aid options, by calling the College’s Admissions office at: 774-330-4311.
To see more about the program from the students’ and the industry’s perspective, select this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqbEsADOA-M
