PITTSBURGH — As one graduate after another crosses the stage, cheers and applause ring out, a ritual that celebrates hard work and points to the future.For graduates in aviation maintenance at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, it's a literal transition: After shifting their tassels and hugging their parents, they head to a nearby building for one last test."Every one of the 54 Maintenance students took their final test graduation day or the morning after," says Derek Vrabel, the student services coordinator at PIA.The test isn't for a class grade.It's to earn the Federal Aviation Administration's Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification for mechanics to work on plane airframes and engines.
The coveted credential offers a foothold in an industry eager for new hires: Even before putting on their cap and gown in late June, nearly half of the graduates had already locked in new jobs, while others were narrowing down their choices.Options range from small regional airlines to loftier aspirations."I do have a couple of interviews next week with a couple of contractors, and SpaceX in Texas," says class salutatorian Jon Wojcik, from Buffalo, N.Y.
"I'd be applying my airframe skills for that, for the assembly of Starship rockets."As for how the new graduates did on the series of oral, practical and written exams that make up the test, Vrabel says 47 of them succeeded on their first attempt.He expects the remaining seven to pass in the coming days.Students have long groaned at adults' questions about what they'll do after graduation.
But few grads have faced as many challenges as the current crop, such as disruptions from remote work, fears of a K-shaped economy, and the spread of AI.Aviation maintenance is a rare bright spot against that grim backdrop, a field of skilled physical labor that needs a new generation of workers."There's a shortage for both pilots and mechanics," Wojcik says."All these people are retiring, I think the average age is 57, of mec...