Connecting the Dots between Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education and Aviation Professional Shortages

The 2018 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook report forecasted that the aviation industry needs 790,000 new civil aviation pilots worldwide over the next 20 years. Some airlines have answered the call by creating ab initio (entry-level) programs to recruit, train, and hire their own pilots. However, the 2018 Outlook report also forecasted that the aviation industry needs 754,000 maintenance technicians over the next 20 years. Recently, there has been more attention paid to potential shortages in other aviation careers such as aircraft maintenance technicians but the primary focus is still remains on the pilot population. One of the factors that will lead to the shortage of aircraft maintenance technicians is the retirements of current aircraft maintenance technicians. Other factors include the lack of knowledge of or interest in aviation careers among the very people that can fill the pipeline, the diminished role of “shop class” in some school systems and competing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs such as robotics and coding. This paper will address the challenges to attracting new talent to aviation careers as well as innovative ways to help overcome those challenges. This paper will also discuss ways to expand aviation career outreach efforts beyond the K-12 age group to introduce new talent to the aircraft maintenance technician pipeline at a quicker rate