Avionics News May 2018 - 59

piloting, which leads to the FAA Part 107 certificate, a
professional aviation certification program for experienced
aircraft mechanics to become FAA-certified; a human factors
curriculum both online and in the classroom; and a range of
other professional development courses.

Avionics News: Do you have any active internships
or apprentice programs with local MROs or OEMs?
AIM: Our satellite campuses continually work with local
and national employers for professional development and
employment opportunities beyond our program. Examples
include an internship program in Las Vegas with Allegiant
Airlines, hiring relationships with Republic Airlines in
Indianapolis, and a range of national agreements with Delta
Air Lines and United Airlines.
Some of these relationships include the airline paying for
portions of the educational process for the student, and others
include direct lines for employment for our graduates.
Avionics News: Do you partner with local industry,
and if so, how is it working?
AIM: We work with both local and national partners
in every aspect of our curriculum design and maintenance
of that curriculum. Each of our 11 campuses has a local
program advisory committee, which guides us in the
development and enhancement of our programs and the
relevance of our training equipment. In fact, that committee
of industry professionals guided us in creating our new
avionics pathway, where students earn both the FAA airframe
certificate and the CertTec certifications for avionics.
We also have committee members from NIDA, Delta,
United, Republic, American, Panasonic, AECOM, Raytheon,
Signature, AAR, and an array of airlines and MROs who
guide us in designing our curriculum, preparing our students
for industry, and of course, hiring our graduates. This
cooperation and collaboration with our industry partners
is essential for AIM to continue to remain an active and
relevant player in the ongoing effort to train the nextgeneration aviation maintenance and avionics workforce.
Avionics News: Why are students coming to your
school? Do you have any programs to actively recruit new
avionics students?
AIM: As the largest family of FAA-approved aviation
maintenance technology schools in the world, Aviation
Institute of Maintenance has come to enjoy a solid name in
fulfilling the dire need for aviation maintenance and avionics
technicians throughout the Unites States and around the world.
For example, most recently, we partnered with Saudia
Airlines to provide both maintenance and avionics training
to their civilian technicians, giving us an entre into

international student recruiting and instruction.
That said, telling the story of the aviation maintenance
and avionics technician has been a challenge. How many
kids out there think, "I'd like to be an aircraft mechanic
when I grow up?" Probably not many, but even fewer say,
"Boy, becoming an avionics technician sure sounds fun."
It takes work, communication, social media prowess,
energy, and continual effort to effectively communicate
the story of the lucrative and stable employment
opportunities offered by a career in aviation and avionics
maintenance. We tell this story in a variety of different
ways, including highlighting the stories of our graduates
and instructors within today's social media. An example
of this is the highlight of a former student and current
instructor, Dominic Cummings, which can be viewed at
youtube.com/watch?v=u7nlT5dBmWM.
Currently, our most significant influx of students into our
new avionics program are coming directly from our airline
industry partners such as American Airlines, Delta, and
Saudia Airlines. But as we get better at telling the stories
of the expanding avionics field, we will be able to better
attract students directly into this program.

Avionics News: What are you hearing from industry
on your placements and your programs about the skill levels
of your graduates?
AIM: Technically, our graduates are competitive in the
industry and are finding success, but we are hearing they
often lack soft skills. Common deficiencies range from
interviewing skills to working relationships to professional
communication.
We also hear that entry-level employees are often
deficient in problem-solving or troubleshooting skills.
While it is disappointing to hear, this information gives
us solid direction to guide our education departments and
student/career services departments so that employers will
continue to actively pursue our graduates.
Avionics News: Anything we missed?
AIM: There seems to be resurgence in the perceived
value of the trades and technical training in the United
States. We feel this aligns with what we have always
believed and are finding success partnering with likeminded universities and industry members who see the
value, as well. In all, the future is bright, and we look
forward to continuing our efforts to help shape the next
generation of maintenance technicians. q
To learn more about the Aviation Institute of Maintenance,
visit aviationmaintenance.edu.
avionics news

may

2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7nlT5dBmWM http://www.aviationmaintenance.edu

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