Opinion: MRO Industry Must Address Career Development Shortcomings

The aerospace industry owes a small but significant debt of gratitude to a production team from NBCUniversal. After months of research and interviews, including with ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod (and me hovering in the background), CNBC producers published a 12-min. special in February that addresses the workforce and career development challenges facing the aviation maintenance community.

ARSA’s participation, along with great footage and insight from GE Aerospace and Aviation High School in Queens, New York, lent a voice to the data and analysis provided by the association behind the scenes. The result is a concise review that outlines the industry’s human capital issues and also showcases its potential.

For each minute on-screen, producers combed through hours of interviews (MacLeod and I easily invested five enjoyable hours in discussion), pages of reports and reams of data. The resulting piece provides a primer on individual certification, recruitment, retention and supply issues for companies that depend on maintenance professionals.

“The entire world is going to feel this workforce shortage,” MacLeod said. “I think that aerospace can actually lead the recovery . . . because we do need, and want, and can train and have trained the elite when it comes to these blue-collar jobs. I’ve talked to a lot of people in the industry for 30 years [who say] their damn children can’t change a tire. For our folks in the repair station environment, [all that’s needed] is having [basic] technical skills—knowing a screwdriver from a wrench—and a desire to learn. Period.”

ARSA helped use the video to illustrate the industry’s makeup of mostly small businesses competing in a complex market for talent. Many rely on word-of-mouth recruitment or build local partnerships but must face industrywide limitations of available personnel. Looking ahead, CNBC’s reporting acknowledged the value of training and career development. Aviation personnel, and the infrastructure supporting them, must adapt to increasing workloads while harnessing and managing new technology. As MacLeod said in her statement closing the piece, failure to do so will leave aircraft—and the world—stuck on the ground.

Many trade associations and industry groups (ARSA is no exception) have resources supporting small companies that cannot invest in robust human capital outreach. The association hopes to make good on its vision for bolstering efficient training and “earn-to-learn” programs through its support for Choose Aerospace’s recent application for an FAA workforce grant (see arsa.org/grant-program for details).

The CNBC piece is a great resource and should be shared widely as an educational tool for the public. As you circulate the link to friends and colleagues, it is worth scrolling through the more than 1,200 comments (as of this writing). Many of these highlight frustrating experiences, decrying lack of respect and low pay associated with technical (particularly blue-collar) employment.

While reading internet comments is often a mistake, the error for our purpose here would be to ignore or overlook these sentiments. Addressing aviation workforce concerns, as ARSA has long contended, is a career development exercise. Building careers means showing applicants a future with opportunity for growth and rewards for good work. Showing that future also demands that we recognize the lived experience of those on whom we depend right now.

Do not be afraid to discuss starting pay or respect for trades—just do not stop there. Today’s apprentice is next year’s supervisor and the next decade’s vice president of maintenance and engineering . . . or perhaps a skilled professional in another industry (it is OK to acknowledge that possibility). Show new technicians the journey that begins with us, and they can chart a worthy career destination for themselves.

Brett Levanto is vice president of operations of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, managing firm and client communications in conjunction with regulatory and legislative policy initiatives. He provides strategic and logistical support for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.