Avionics News May 2018 - 58

TRAINING TOMORROW'S TECHNICIANS
Continued from page 57

receive all the knowledge they would need to test for the
FAA general written examination, the airframe written
examination, the airframe oral and practical examination, the
NCATT standard aircraft electronics technician examination,
and the CertTec examination. These certifications will make
our graduates more marketable in the industry and provide
even more employment options for them.
In addition, we have partnered with NIDA Corp. to allow
us to use the part of its avionics curriculum that meets the
requirements for our graduates to prepare for certification
examinations for AET certification and the CertTec
certification.

Avionics News: How is your program set up? Part
147 with avionics, stand-alone avionics, degree program,
certificate program?
AIM: Our approach to avionics education has continually
evolved over the years. In the past, we offered a short fivemonth avionics certificate program, but found that graduates
often needed some form of FAA certification to work on
aircraft in the professional environment.

partners. It not only includes airframe certification from the
FAA, but once they have that rating, they are able to then
move right into the avionics curriculum and earn the NCATT
and CertTec certifications.
The program we are now rolling out is a 21-month
program (the same length as our A&P program), where
students take the general and airframe portions of the
Part 147 program first and are eligible for the airframe
certification, and then move directly into their avionics
training and certification. For students who desire all
certifications - airframe, powerplant and avionics - we have
a training path for those students, too.

Avionics News: Where are your graduating students
being placed? Are many taking jobs outside of aviation?
AIM: This avionics program is a new program for us, but
our current AMT graduates are being placed throughout the
country at major and regional airline maintenance facilities,
including Delta, United, Southwest, American, Envoy,
Republic, Piedmont and Express Jet.
MRO and ground support providers, including Goodyear,
HAECO and Signature Flight, are also key employers.
Graduates are finding positions at non-related aviation
facilities specializing in the repair of major systems and
engines that require the attention to detail our students
possess. These non-aviation industry jobs consist of
companies like Tesla, People Movers, Universal Studios and
other similar companies. These non-aviation companies can
offer alternative locations as well as a competitive salary for
our graduates.
Avionics News: What is the typical yearly salary of
one of your graduates?
AIM: While we cannot give out the salaries of our
graduates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May
2016), the median annual wages for aircraft and avionics
equipment mechanics and technicians ranged from $43,440
for installation, maintenance and repair occupations to
$60,760 for avionics technicians. The median annual wages
for those avionics technicians in the top industries range from
$56,270 for the federal government to $70,810 for schedule
air transportation.

Our response was to create a 25-month program where
students earned their full A&P certificate and then studied
avionics. But we found that this version of the program was
too long. Students earned their A&P and were immediately
lured away to jobs in aviation maintenance without finishing
their avionics training.
Our new version of the program, which we are just now
rolling out, is based on significant guidance from our industry
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Avionics News: Do you offer industry training short
courses?
AIM: In addition to our full two-year programs in AMTA
and helicopter repair, our campuses strive to bring other
relevant programs for the professional world, which carry
relevant, industry-recognized certifications.
We offer programs in certified unmanned aerial system

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News May 2018