As described by the FAA, the purpose of the AC is to provide information to individuals interested in careers in aviation maintenance. Considering intense focus on workforce and technical skills development issues, helping to produce a useful “overview” of the profession was an industry-wide imperative.
The industry-provided draft was constructed based on the three points described for the agency by the group’s comments:
(1) Begin with skills.
(2) Show the breadth of the “profession.”
(3) Demonstrate career opportunities.
On this last point, the industry’s draft AC focused intently. It described the aviation maintenance profession as a field of five career pathways including noncertificated professionals, certificated repairmen, certificated mechanics, mechanics holding inspection authorization and transitioning military personnel.
“There is no single point of entry or career trajectory for aviation maintenance professionals,” the draft industry submission said. “Depending on knowledge, education, experience, skill and curiosity, individuals with an interest in the kinds of hands-on, intellectually-challenging and technically-skilled work performed in all manner of aviation maintenance facilities may begin or continue a career through any one of the ‘pathways’ described in this AC.”
While the agency deliberates over the industry’s comments, ARSA will work to utilize the content produced by the effort. Rather than wait for the official release of a new AC, the association and its allies can make good on their combined effort by helping get this updated “overview of the aviation maintenance profession” into circulation right now.
To help, download and read the full submission, please click here. Then share it: Circulate to colleagues, educational partners, local schools, guidance counselors – help get it to “anyone interested in creating or advancing aviation careers.”
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