<p>Attracting young people into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is at the forefront of many a government’s education policy. Of course, having convinced people to enter this field, students also want to know that there will be employment at the end of their courses.</p>
<p><img alt="PIT" src="/getasset/4f5d3cc9-889e-4f7e-ae79-8a4958ac050f/" /></p>
<p>Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), like many a seat of learning, strives to offer just those opportunities and has developed a regular series of careers fairs to help its future graduates enter the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector to aid a shortage as serious as that in the pilot pool.</p>
<p>November’s iteration of the event had representatives from a wide range of companies. “Employers came from regional airlines, mainline carriers, MROs, General Aviation, manufacturing and some non-aviation industries,” reports Mindy Pavilonis, Associate Director, Career Services at PIA. Among the aforementioned were Bombardier, GE Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace, Honda Aircraft, Piedmont Airlines and United Airlines. “Also, Pittsburgh Airport had more than 50 employers in attendance, while Hagerstown Regional Airport, Youngstown–Warren Regional Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport had over 18 employers there.” The cities attached to those airports are all locations where PIA has a campus.</p>
<p>Peg Skalican, campus director of the Myrtle Beach Campus of the non-profit PIA, is in no doubt of the value of the fairs. “The events are open to both soon-to-be graduates and alumni. That we continue to host events that typically involve such robust and enthusiastic support from the employment community is a strong indicator of sustained career demand. It highlights the growing need for qualified aviation maintenance technicians,” she remarks.</p>
<p>PIA administration and employers were also on hand to discuss issues trending in aviation maintenance career education, such as overcoming stigma for girls in trade careers, the merit of employer partnerships in training a qualified workforce and recent comparisons benchmarking the salaries of graduates. PIA is proud of its impressive return on investment for its graduates, with Forbes ranking the organisation as the No1 two-year trade school in the whole of the US.</p>
<p>As for success in job placements, PIA Myrtle Beach Campus reports that 97% of its eligible graduates began working in the aviation industry or an associated field for the 12-month period between 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.</p>
<p>With such success from its fairs, Pavilonis confirms that further events will be held during both spring and fall (autumn) in 2020. Again, amidst the opportunities for students and alumni to discuss the next stage of their career development and potentially find a position which suits their pathway, there will be industry experts to identify key industry trends.</p>
<p>According to Pavilonis, the highlight of 2019’s fairs coming from employers emphasised an increase in partnerships and donations with PIA campuses. “The demand for aviation mechanics has been going on for quite a while and is not going to slow down any time soon, so it’s imperative that we continue to maintain and build these partnerships,” she declares.</p>
<p>As noted, fairs such as those held by the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics are held by many educational establishments. And they should all be applauded for the work they carry out to help much needed candidates find their way into the industry.</p>
<p><img alt="PIT" src="/getasset/4f5d3cc9-889e-4f7e-ae79-8a4958ac050f/" /></p>
<p>Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA), like many a seat of learning, strives to offer just those opportunities and has developed a regular series of careers fairs to help its future graduates enter the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector to aid a shortage as serious as that in the pilot pool.</p>
<p>November’s iteration of the event had representatives from a wide range of companies. “Employers came from regional airlines, mainline carriers, MROs, General Aviation, manufacturing and some non-aviation industries,” reports Mindy Pavilonis, Associate Director, Career Services at PIA. Among the aforementioned were Bombardier, GE Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace, Honda Aircraft, Piedmont Airlines and United Airlines. “Also, Pittsburgh Airport had more than 50 employers in attendance, while Hagerstown Regional Airport, Youngstown–Warren Regional Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport had over 18 employers there.” The cities attached to those airports are all locations where PIA has a campus.</p>
<p>Peg Skalican, campus director of the Myrtle Beach Campus of the non-profit PIA, is in no doubt of the value of the fairs. “The events are open to both soon-to-be graduates and alumni. That we continue to host events that typically involve such robust and enthusiastic support from the employment community is a strong indicator of sustained career demand. It highlights the growing need for qualified aviation maintenance technicians,” she remarks.</p>
<p>PIA administration and employers were also on hand to discuss issues trending in aviation maintenance career education, such as overcoming stigma for girls in trade careers, the merit of employer partnerships in training a qualified workforce and recent comparisons benchmarking the salaries of graduates. PIA is proud of its impressive return on investment for its graduates, with Forbes ranking the organisation as the No1 two-year trade school in the whole of the US.</p>
<p>As for success in job placements, PIA Myrtle Beach Campus reports that 97% of its eligible graduates began working in the aviation industry or an associated field for the 12-month period between 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.</p>
<p>With such success from its fairs, Pavilonis confirms that further events will be held during both spring and fall (autumn) in 2020. Again, amidst the opportunities for students and alumni to discuss the next stage of their career development and potentially find a position which suits their pathway, there will be industry experts to identify key industry trends.</p>
<p>According to Pavilonis, the highlight of 2019’s fairs coming from employers emphasised an increase in partnerships and donations with PIA campuses. “The demand for aviation mechanics has been going on for quite a while and is not going to slow down any time soon, so it’s imperative that we continue to maintain and build these partnerships,” she declares.</p>
<p>As noted, fairs such as those held by the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics are held by many educational establishments. And they should all be applauded for the work they carry out to help much needed candidates find their way into the industry.</p>