ARSA CORNER ARSA CORNER AREN’T WE ALL SPECIAL? By Ryan M. Poteet, Regulatory Affairs Manager A
vionics technicians are in a class of their own when it comes to the government’s defi nition of the aviation maintenance workforce — but the rest of the industry requires special treatment, too.
Information is the oxygen in the modern age, but the
aviation maintenance industry — and the government — is suff ocating from a lack of accurate data. Repair stations con- tinue to struggle to fi nd qualifi ed maintenance technicians; however, a 2014 report by the Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO) concluded there was no evidence of labor shortage. What gives? That analysis was based on the Standard Occupational Classifi cation (SOC) system, the basic tool by which the American workforce is defi ned. It is essential to capturing the needs of the aviation community and for guiding career decisions. While noble in purpose, the system fails the aviation maintenance industry. All aviation maintenance personnel (except avionics maintenance technicians) are lumped into one SOC classifi cation. Even the GAO recognized that such broad classifi cations overestimate the number of qualifi ed mechanics by failing to account for specifi c qualifi cations employers actively seek (like an A&P certifi cate). However, there is hope for clearing up the government’s ambiguity. Avionics technicians are special. After all, they help keep aircraft safely aloft in the thickest clouds without getting lost. Mechanics and repairmen are also special — both can hold FAA certifi cates to perform a vast array of maintenance duties and are distinguished by their levels of education, experience, maintenance privileges and pay. The system that classifi es them must recognize these essential diff erences. By accurately capturing the regulatory
requirements for diff erent aviation maintenance careers, career paths will be illuminated and students will better understand the attendant professional and fi nancial rewards of holding an FAA certifi cate. Indeed, businesses and the government will both be able to assess the needs of the workforce properly. The SOC system is under constant revision and your voice can be heard in
the upcoming review. In 2014 the SOC Policy Committee (SOCPC) requested public comment on suggested modifi cations. The SOCPC is reviewing those comments and will release its recommendations in spring 2015. Commenting on those recommendations will be essential to ensuring that revisions of the SOC structure refl ect the true requirements and characteristics of the aviation maintenance workforce. Pro-active engagement and working with the aviation
network will ensure the government sees how and why you are so special. Are you part of the community? Tell the government.
Ryan M. Poteet is a regulatory aff airs manager for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) and an associate for Obadal, Filler, MacLeod and Klein, PLC, where he advises clients in matters of aviation regulation and government aff airs. Poteet graduated from
Lynchburg College and earned his law degree from the Chapman University School of Law in 2012.
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