As Congress prepares to craft and debate the next FAA reauthorization bill, perhaps no topic will be more closely watched than workforce development.
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It's no secret that a shortage of key frontline workers such as pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers is a threat to near-term industry stability and growth. This is why the council and several other industry organizations are calling on Congress to extend and expand the FAA's successful Aviation Workforce Development Programs.

Authorized by language in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, the law empowered the FAA to launch two programs--one for mechanics and one for pilots. They have been wildly successful, attracting nearly $200 million in requests for $20 million in funding distributed so far, including $10 million earlier this year.

Given the documented need to develop more certified mechanics, the council is urging Congress to allocate $50 million for the program in the upcoming FAA reauthorization bill, as recommended in the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Report. ATEC also recommends expanding grant eligibility to include non-profit organizations, clarifying that part 147 schools are eligible for grants and that a past award grant doesn’t bar you from a future grant, and allocating funding to FAA personnel to run the program. A program to share case studies of successful grant awards is also recommended.

The council has sent information and proposed bill language to key lawmakers outlining its plan. Others joining the effort include the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and Aerospace Industries Association, which is calling for grants applicable to manufacturing jobs. A group of key senators is also onboard and has called for the program's expansion in a letter to leaders on the influential senate appropriations committee.

In the most recent round of awards, eleven organizations were given $5 million in Aviation Workforce Development Maintenance Technical Workers grants. The full list of grant awards for both the maintenance-worker and pilot-development grants and related projects is available on the FAA's website.

A subsequent round is expected to open for applications in the coming weeks; ATEC will keep its members informed on any new developments.

Women have out-numbered men since the late 1940s and make up about half the country's workforce, U.S. Census data show. But in most aviation occupations, women hold less than 20% of the jobs, and the figure has not moved much in decades.

Helping change this--and get aviation much-needed workers in key positions--was the reason Congress established the Women in Aviation Advisory Board in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. The board's assignment: develop a set of independent recommendations to the FAA Administrator on how to encourage and support female students and aviators to pursue a career in aviation. WIAAB delivered, via a report to the FAA.

Now, some lawmakers want WIAAB to have a permanent place within the FAA. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) have jointly introduced the Promoting Women in Aviation Act. The bipartisan bill would make the WIAAB a permanent body within the FAA so it can continue to provide valuable insight on best efforts to recruit, promote and retain more women in aviation.

“It is frustrating that women are still dramatically underrepresented among pilots, mechanics and other critical roles in our aviation workforce—especially at a time when we face such an acute need for more workers in this industry,” said Senator Duckworth. “As the Chair of the Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation Subcommittee, I’m proud to help introduce this legislation with Senator Peters to establish a Women in Aviation Advisory Committee so we can help expand outreach, level the playing field for women and encourage them to enter the aviation industry—strengthening the aviation workforce while helping keep the flying public safe.”
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The bill "would help strengthen the aviation workforce at-large as well as address pilot shortage challenges that have especially disrupted air service in rural areas as well as maintenance technician pipeline challenges that have hurt the aviation supply chain," the senators said in a joint statement.

The council, which supports common-sense legislation that fosters aviation workforce development programs, will follow the bill's progress and keep members up to date.

The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the aviation workforce of the future, including the current and future supply of aircraft mechanics. In a report published on May 17, 2023 (GAO-23-105571), GAO found that while the number of newly certificated mechanics grew in recent years, it could not make any concrete conclusions about the suspected shortage of aircraft mechanics.

"The supply of individuals with new mechanic certificates grew from 2017 through 2022. The total pool of mechanic certificates also increased; however, these data provide limited information about the supply of aircraft mechanics, as the number of certificate holders who have left the industry since 2017 is unknown," said the report. "Additionally, available data provide limited information on the extent of demand for aircraft mechanics."

The report went on to say that despite the lack of information, aviation stakeholders interviewed reported challenges maintaining sufficient numbers of mechanics. Those same interviewees reported increased wages--a vital metric evidencing a talent shortage--an indicator that is not yet replicated in Bureau of Labor Statistics' labor market data.

Find the full report and links to previous GAO reports on aviation maintenance workforce on ATEC's Workforce Data landing page.​

One of the biggest hurdles keeping aviation technician school graduates from earning certification is access to FAA-designated examiners--and the issue is only getting more challenging.

The most recent ATEC Pipeline Report showed 40% of graduates do not take the exam necessary to receive FAA mechanic certification. That's up 10% from just a few years ago.

The issue, which remains one of the council's top regulatory priorities, is on the FAA's radar. The agency plans to expand its Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program to include delegated examiners, but progress has been slow. In early May, the council wrote to FAA Acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety David Boulter to reiterate the issue's importance to the aviation maintenance community--and the need to act fast.

"Five years ago, the agency called a meeting with industry stakeholders to discuss a planned expansion to the ODA program that would allow air agency certificate holders (including part 147 schools) to manage their own testing delegates, greatly expanding capacity to meet student testing demand," ATEC wrote. "Since then, industry has eagerly awaited the welcomed change; unfortunately, the policy approval process has stalled while testing capacity challenges have grown worse."

The FAA's plan is to revise the Airman Certification ODA Order (8100.15) to include examiners. But a timeline provided several years ago is slipping. ATEC's letter asks for an updated schedule and urges "expeditious expansion" of the ODA program "to include examiner delegations."

Read the full letter here.