Aviation Grads Ready for Takeoff

Arkansas Aviation Tech Center in Fayetteville will graduate its first class of aviation maintenance technicians on Aug. 31. The AMTs have been trained in 43 different technologies ranging from avionics to pneumatic and electrical systems.

Dean Schanz, marketing director for AATC, said the 105-student center is on track to graduate 26 more by January. Part of the AATC’s success has come from a half-day secondary education program for high school seniors.

Lee Haight, a professor and workforce education director at Fayetteville High School’s West Campus, said the regional program uses about $2,200 per student in state vocational funding. Last year, 19 area high school students participated.

First year AMTs, who complete the 15-month day program or 18-month night program, graduate with the FAA certification to work on all aircraft from Cessna 150s to Boeing 777s. The grads can expect their annual salaries to start locally from $23,000 to as much as $33,280, if they’re hired on by a company like Wal-Mart Aviation.

But the national shortage of aviation techs is creating even greater opportunities with major airlines for higher paying jobs all over the country.