Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate would boost investment in aviation workforce outreach, skills training, and development programs.
The Aviation Workforce, Opportunity, Recruiting, Knowledge, and Supply (Aviation WORKS) Act would quadruple funding for the Aviation Workforce Development Program from $5 million to $20 million. In addition, it would establish two new grant programs.
The first program would be an aviation manufacturing workforce development program that supports aviation manufacturers and institutions of higher education to expand skills training and education opportunities. The second program would be a sector-based grant program tasked with creating partnerships between employers, labor unions, institutions of higher education, and other community stakeholders to connect workers with training and employers.
Grant recipients will be able to use the funding to increase community outreach and marketing, improve recruitment and retention services, and better coordinate with education programs and employers.
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) reintroduced the bill.
“I’m proud to join Sen. Kelly in reintroducing the Aviation WORKS Act, which will expand (Federal Aviation Administration) workforce grants and help more people access the training they need to build a strong career in aviation,” Fischer said.
More than 1.2 million new pilots and maintenance technicians will be needed over the next two decades.