aircraft mechanical

Aircraft Mechanical - To meet current and future demand, the aviation industry needs to attract more young people to work as technicians and mechanics. Labor leaders, airline chiefs and outside analysts agree it will not be an easy task. Aviation industry critics have long worried that an aging workforce and difficulty attracting new talent would lead to a shortage of qualified aircraft maintenance technicians and mechanics. It has been estimated that the industry will need at least 600,000 new technicians in the next ten years. But the situation has gone beyond worrying about how to fill jobs in the future. Thanks in large part to the COVID-19 crisis that has caused cash-strapped airlines to cut costs by offering senior mechanics and technicians a retirement buyout, there's a major mechanic and technician shortage here now. Related article: How a strong recovery from COVID could cause a shortage of aircraft mechanics To replace these experienced mechanics and technicians, the aviation industry needs a flood of young workers. And that's not always an easy sell, according to Gary Peterson, director of the Aviation Division of the Transportation Workers Union of America (TWU). In an exclusive interview with Satair Knowledge Hub that has been reeling since 9/11, Peterson said there are several reasons behind the lack of work. On the one hand, airline hiring in the US has historically been cyclical, with large hiring bubbles followed by periods of inactivity until the previous bubbles began to deflate. Peterson himself was hired as a mechanic by American Airlines in 1992 at the end of a hiring boom. "Now, we're entering the early stages of my generation bubble," he said. 9/11 also had a profound impact on Peterson's generation of mechanics and technicians and the impact is still being felt. today, he said. "After 9/11, a lot of carriers went through bankruptcy, so there were cuts in wages and benefits across the industry," he said. "A lot of people left the industry and a lot of young people looked elsewhere because it wasn't as attractive a job anymore. Many aviation schools and programs also began to fail or market their A&P certification to other industries. Prior to 9/11, Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification was largely limited to the airline industry. But after 9/11, A&P schools had to find places for their students and began offering their graduates to construction trades, energy companies, hospitals and elevator builders, among others. Those other departments were happy to grab skilled workers, Peterson said. "I can say without a doubt that other industries are taking advantage of people coming out of aviation and automotive trade schools and the industry," he said. "Now the airlines have competition and that's pretty big." Justin Madden is the executive director of government affairs for the Fraternal Mechanics Aircraft Association (AMFA), the independent labor union representing maintenance technicians across the United States. He admitted that other industries are looking at aircraft mechanics. "The education and skill set of an aircraft mechanic is transferable and very popular with other industries," Madden told Satair Knowledge Hub in an exclusive interview. "Our education partners are telling us that mechanical graduates have been offered roles with theme parks, hospitals and emerging technologies in the commercial space and UAS [unmanned aerial systems, ed.] to name a few." By 2016, 20 percent of recent U.S. A&P graduates took jobs outside of aviation, according to the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). "Money talks" The choice to work in one of these other sectors is usually motivated by salaries and benefits. Peterson said the average starting salary for mechanics and technicians at major U.S. carriers is about $30 an hour. For regional carriers, wages start at $15-20 an hour and likely rise to $30. He said the difference is causing trouble for smaller airlines. "Districts need to figure out how to keep their mechanics from leaving for better pay and a much better and stronger retirement plan," he said. "The long and the short of it is the money negotiations ." Madden of AMFA, whose union represents maintenance technicians who work primarily at Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and Southwest Airlines, said the question of how to attract new talent "has will be debated at length among academia, industry and labour." "The ability to attract and retain aircraft mechanics is definitely an issue where wages and benefits are low," Madden said. “There is no silver bullet; however, we believe that higher pay and benefits will continue to increase interest in aircraft maintenance." Hard work, long hours It's not just about paying more height and better benefits. The work is often physically demanding and requires long, strange hours. Paul Lochab, Satair's commercial director, has worked in the aviation industry and beyond for more than three decades "It's hard work that goes on 24/7," said Lochab. "When it comes to aircraft mechanics, the work can be tougher than other technical jobs. You can deal with all kinds of weather, freezing, drowning or anything in between. There is also pressure to resolve technical issues quickly so that aircraft delays.” TWU's Peterson agreed that the 24/7/365 nature of aviation is forcing many mechanics to leave the industry for jobs that offer more reliable schedules. He said the new hires are the ones who have to work outside normal hours. Yes, so young mechanics are asked to work the midnight shift for many, many years before being moved to the day shift," said Peterson. . and aerospace internships, the conditions new mechanics must accept are making it difficult to attract young talent who agree with what they have." said Constanza. A 2017 report predicted that demand for aircraft mechanics would already exceed capacity by 2022. "You're in school for two years and the money it costs you and you're not on the payroll. n. And then after you're hired, it takes you five to seven years to get to the top salary." Possible solutions Before COVID-19, there were reasons for cautious optimism. ATEC found that reaching US mechanic certification the highest in nearly two decades in 2019 and US aircraft maintenance technician schools reported that more people earning certifications found jobs in aviation The 20 percent of graduates fell A&P that took jobs outside of aviation in 2016 to just eight percent in 2018. But the pandemic hardly accelerated the shortage Related Article: Why MRO workers are worried ?So what's the solution? Both union leaders we spoke to agreed that there is no quick fix. programs for those who have and would also like the airlines to help put the against the costs of the new mechanics. both their education and large investments in the tools they need to do their jobs, both through taking away wages and giving new hires a fully stocked toolbox . Madden said airlines need to improve the work-life balance of their employees and provide a more defined career path. He also said that the fear of outsourcing makes it difficult to attract new talent. But perhaps the biggest thing, said Peterson and Lochab, is to recruit the younger generation in a more aggressive and effective way. "The problem could be solved," said Lochab. "You can say to anyone entering the private workforce, 'OK, there will be good wages, there will be good training programs, the universities and technical training departments will be the various institutions that train a certain number of people. . . .'But I don't see mainstream universities or technical schools really considering going out and venturing about aviation." Petersen said he would like to see a national apprenticeship program that nurture new mechanics and technicians and who believe that unions should be better at communicating with young people why aviation is a good career choice. "Not everyone is willing to go to university, or build for the high-tech world. There is still a great need for training and a technical school," he said, and then people find themselves in a situation.

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