Delta Air Lines and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) have forged an educational partnership designed to fill demand for qualified aviation maintenance technicians.

PIA’s campuses in Pittsburgh, PA, Youngstown, OH, Hagerstown, MD and Myrtle Beach, SC have been selected as four of approximately 40 aircraft maintenance schools to partner with Atlanta, GA-based Delta to find the schools whose graduates are able to meet or exceed the airline’s high expectations.

More than 100 criteria were used in Delta’s selection process including equipment and facilities, level of hands-on training and quality of teaching. Industry growth, increasing retirements, a decline in students seeking an education in skilled trades are factors contributing to an increasing demand for aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs).

PIA, pia.edu, strives to provide successful career opportunities for graduates, and this joint effort with Delta will continue to support the school’s mission, says the Institute.

“Our agreement with Delta shows the quality of our program at PIA and emphasizes the need for trained technicians. The partnership program is a great way to think outside the box to attract technicians to Delta Air Lines,” says Peg Skalican, Myrtle Beach campus director.

For an aircraft to leave the ground, whether it’s a blimp, helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft, any maintenance must generally be signed off by a certified FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) technician. According to Boeing’s 2016 Pilot and Technician Outlook, 118,000-plus newly hired A&P technicians are needed by 2035 in North America alone.

“As Baby Boomers are retiring, Delta and other companies recognize the need to have quality technicians in their pipeline. Although this partnership is in its infancy stages, the opportunity for PIA students to fast-track to Delta main line is fantastic,” observes Butch Adams, Hagerstown campus director.

Furthermore, PIA points out, the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites a median salary for aircraft mechanics and service technicians at $60,270 (medians are not reflective of starting salaries).

PIA has been recognized among the top schools fighting the nation’s skills gap in a list published in 2017 by Forbes. It also lands as the number 11 Two-Year Trade School in the U.S. and is the top school on the list for technical trades.

Niche.com rankings place PIA in the number eight position among 619 trade schools in the U.S. for 2017 and number two of 23 in Pennsylvania. Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of data and reviews, notes PIA. Additionally, in 2017, Zippia placed PIA among the top 10 best U.S. junior colleges for jobs based on a variety of score card data, including emphasis on job placement results.

Since 1929, PIA has been training certified and work-ready aviation maintenance technicians in high demand with programs in aviation maintenance technology and aviation electronics.

PIA’s flagship program, the aviation maintenance technology program, has been providing quality aircraft mechanics for more than 85 years. This program provides students with the opportunity to test for the prestigious FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant Certification.