The council is Congress's resource for information about the aviation technical education community. ATEC advocates for common sense legislation that promotes aviation technical careers, supports the current workforce, and beats back efforts to unnecessarily increase procedural or administrative burdens on educational institutions. ATEC's specific legislative priorities are as follows:
Ensure a smooth transition to the new regulation governing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certificated aviation maintenance technician schools. Seventeen months after Congress directed the FAA to remove and replace the current Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 147 with a community-drafted, performance-based regulation, the new rule has been promulgated with an effective date of Sept. 21, 2022. With a short 120-day window for schools to transition to the new rule, ATEC asks legislative leaders to engage with FAA local offices as needed to ensure programs in their states and districts receive timely response to operations specification revisions requests.
Support a skilled and dynamic aviation workforce through increased workforce grant program funding. In the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, Congress established the Aviation Workforce Development Grants program, which provides grants to academia and the aviation community to help prepare a more inclusive talent pool of pilots and maintenance professionals. The program was massively oversubscribed with more than 350 applicants for just $10 million in available funds. The council encourages Congress to expand the program through increased funding and ensure industry stakeholder collaboration is a centerpiece of the expanded program.
Create a National Center for the Advancement of Aviation (S.1752/H.R.3482). ATEC joins its industry allies in support of a national independent forum to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between aviation stakeholders to support and promote the aviation industry. Funded through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, this National Center would focus on four key areas: aviation and aerospace STEM curriculum, workforce development, economic and safety data and research sharing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. ATEC asks that its congressional allies sign on in support of this legislation.
Provide mechanic trainees the opportunity to take a portion of the FAA mechanic test earlier in their training cycle, to support and encourage aviation maintenance programs in high school. Under the current regulatory framework, non-certificated aviation maintenance programs may not—unlike their pilot program counterparts—refer their students to an FAA-approved testing center to take the general written knowledge test. This is a disadvantage to high school maintenance programs who cannot take advantage of the generally adopted consensus that individuals completing a portion of required testing earlier in the training cycle are more likely to ultimately become certified. The council requests that Congress direct the agency to modify part 65 to allow applicants to sit for the general knowledge test prior to meeting those experience requirements.
Expand access to FAA airman testing. Forty percent of aviation technician school graduates do not take the exam necessary to receive FAA mechanic certification—access to FAA-designated examiners is one of the largest barriers to student testing. The agency has proposed expansion of its Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program to include examiner delegations, which would allow schools to manage FAA testing delegates and meet student demand. Unfortunately, the policy approval process is stalled. The council asks legislative leaders to engage with agency officials to expedite review of Revision C to the Airman Certification ODA Order (8100.15) and expand FAA mechanic testing capacity for our students.
Oppose threats to private proprietary educational institutions. ATEC opposes legislation that limits proprietary aviation technical schools from serving students and veterans. Tax-paying, FAA-certificated institutions currently enroll 30% of all aviation mechanic students. With the industry facing a massive technical workforce shortage which has grown more acute in the wake of the pandemic’s devastation, these schools are vital to industry’s growth and prosperity. ATEC asks legislative leaders to oppose any legislation masked rhetorically as student protection aid that instead threatens a vital source of aviation maintenance professionals and negatively impacts aerospace companies looking to hire technical personnel.
Implement initiatives that will expedite service member transition into civil aviation careers. ATEC estimates the civil aviation industry is capturing less than 10 percent of exiting veterans with aviation maintenance experience. More can and should be done to ease the burden experienced by veterans with valuable experience but no clear path to civilian certification. The council asks its legislative leaders to direct the FAA to create a military competency exam that will provide a pathway to mechanic certification for existing servicemen and women, similar to the pathway available to military pilots.
Support a skilled and dynamic aviation workforce through increased workforce grant program funding. In the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, Congress established the Aviation Workforce Development Grants program, which provides grants to academia and the aviation community to help prepare a more inclusive talent pool of pilots and maintenance professionals. The program was massively oversubscribed with more than 350 applicants for just $10 million in available funds. The council encourages Congress to expand the program through increased funding and ensure industry stakeholder collaboration is a centerpiece of the expanded program.
Create a National Center for the Advancement of Aviation (S.1752/H.R.3482). ATEC joins its industry allies in support of a national independent forum to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between aviation stakeholders to support and promote the aviation industry. Funded through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, this National Center would focus on four key areas: aviation and aerospace STEM curriculum, workforce development, economic and safety data and research sharing, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. ATEC asks that its congressional allies sign on in support of this legislation.
Provide mechanic trainees the opportunity to take a portion of the FAA mechanic test earlier in their training cycle, to support and encourage aviation maintenance programs in high school. Under the current regulatory framework, non-certificated aviation maintenance programs may not—unlike their pilot program counterparts—refer their students to an FAA-approved testing center to take the general written knowledge test. This is a disadvantage to high school maintenance programs who cannot take advantage of the generally adopted consensus that individuals completing a portion of required testing earlier in the training cycle are more likely to ultimately become certified. The council requests that Congress direct the agency to modify part 65 to allow applicants to sit for the general knowledge test prior to meeting those experience requirements.
Expand access to FAA airman testing. Forty percent of aviation technician school graduates do not take the exam necessary to receive FAA mechanic certification—access to FAA-designated examiners is one of the largest barriers to student testing. The agency has proposed expansion of its Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program to include examiner delegations, which would allow schools to manage FAA testing delegates and meet student demand. Unfortunately, the policy approval process is stalled. The council asks legislative leaders to engage with agency officials to expedite review of Revision C to the Airman Certification ODA Order (8100.15) and expand FAA mechanic testing capacity for our students.
Oppose threats to private proprietary educational institutions. ATEC opposes legislation that limits proprietary aviation technical schools from serving students and veterans. Tax-paying, FAA-certificated institutions currently enroll 30% of all aviation mechanic students. With the industry facing a massive technical workforce shortage which has grown more acute in the wake of the pandemic’s devastation, these schools are vital to industry’s growth and prosperity. ATEC asks legislative leaders to oppose any legislation masked rhetorically as student protection aid that instead threatens a vital source of aviation maintenance professionals and negatively impacts aerospace companies looking to hire technical personnel.
Implement initiatives that will expedite service member transition into civil aviation careers. ATEC estimates the civil aviation industry is capturing less than 10 percent of exiting veterans with aviation maintenance experience. More can and should be done to ease the burden experienced by veterans with valuable experience but no clear path to civilian certification. The council asks its legislative leaders to direct the FAA to create a military competency exam that will provide a pathway to mechanic certification for existing servicemen and women, similar to the pathway available to military pilots.
