Sky’s the limit at Fresno aviation mechanic program. Here’s how a major airline’s involved
Inside a large hangar on the grounds of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, students in the San Joaquin Valley College aviation maintenance technology program learn about the nuts and bolts – literally – of taking care of aircraft engines and airplanes.
There are about 60 students currently enrolled in the 17-month program, in which students attend full-time classes four days a week. Upon completion, students graduate with either a certificate or an associate degree, after which they can take exams to earn their airframe and powerplant licenses from the Federal Aviation Administration – necessary to land a coveted job with an airline.
The program doesn’t come cheap. Tuition for the certificate program is more than $35,000, while the associate degree program runs about $42,000, according to SJVC’s current college catalog.
But a renewed partnership between the college and Utah-based SkyWest Airlines is providing not only financial assistance, but an inside track for a job with the company at one of its maintenance bases across the U.S.
“We’re offering students money at this school if they will commit to work for us” after they graduate, said Eli Mayes, SkyWest’s director of maintenance, at a recruitment event Wednesday at the SJVC aviation campus at the airport. “We’re offering $4,500 in educational assistance if they’ll sign a three-year commitment with us.”
That’s in addition to other incentives the airline offers to recruits now making their way through school as part of its AMT Pathway Program. The program includes reimbursing students up to $1,600 in fees paid to take their licensing tests, and up to $1,500 in moving expenses plus mileage for new hires.
Enrollees in the AMT Pathway program are also guaranteed a final interview to become a mechanic for the airline, Mayes said.
“It was unheard of when I went to school 20 years ago” for an airline to offer educational assistance for students, Mayes said. “Even though there’s a lot of job opportunities out there right now, there’s still not an easy pathway to get to those jobs, and that’s what this is offering.”
The airline and the college are nearing the completion of negotiations for SkyWest to give one of its older regional jets, either a Bombardier CRJ200 or CRJ700, to SJVC to provide a better learning experience for students.
“That’s not 100% finalized, but … we definitely want to do that,” Mayes said. “That will help the partnership. The students can get some hands-on (experience) with our aircraft before they come to work for us, which will put them that much farther ahead.”
The apprenticeship program was put on hold for a couple of years because of the COVID-19 epidemic, but now it’s back. “This program gives our students a unique advantage when applying for highly desired employment positions,” said Sue Montgomery, director of institutional partnerships at the college’s Trades Education Center at the airport.
“We were the first in SkyWest’s plan to integrate training programs specific to their maintenance crew needs,” Montgomery added. “SJVC was the ideal educational partner to help them launch this program.”
Student financial aid, including federal Pell grants, can help reduce the financial burden for eligible students, and student loans and scholarships are also available, Montgomery said.
A large SkyWest hanger on the northeast side of the runways at Fresno Yosemite International Airport is one of more than a dozen maintenance bases the airline operates across the U.S., Mayes said.
About 210 of SkyWest’s 2,000 maintenance employees are based in Fresno, where they work on between nine and 14 passenger jets each night to keep them maintained and ready for the next day’s flights.
Mayes said SJVC graduates have established a good track record as SkyWest mechanics in Fresno and at other locations. “We have some people that have been with Skywest from SJVC who have been with the company for 20 years,” he said.
“Even though they’re not one of the biggest (aircraft maintenance technician) school out there, we have a very good history with them which has helped create this opportunity to partner with them.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
