PROFILE
ATTRACTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE It all starts when someone makes the choice to become an aircraft mechanic. Good leaders and managers are passionate about the industry they work in. Passion comes from the heart, not from the pocketbook, toolbox or any other place. Making a lot of money is a goal – not a passion. If someone enjoys what they are doing, chances are high they will be successful and rise to higher levels of responsibility (and pay). If someone goes to work just to get a paycheck, they won’t ever be happy as mechanics and certainly not as managers and supervisors. If we chase the dollar, it may never come. If we chase our passion, the money will take care of itself! We must attract the right people into the industry. Some companies help do this by reaching out to high school students in their community and informing them about the opportunities that are available in the aviation industry. Some professionals on the NBAA maintenance committee like Patrick Delahoussaye, Steve King, Marlin Priest and others have taken it a step further by volunteering their time to visit local Part 147 schools to discuss career opportunities in business aviation.
SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS When we are looking to hire someone for an aircraft maintenance position, we need to set realistic job expectations. If the job opening is for someone to do menial or dirty jobs, don’t keep that information from them just to get an additional body count in the hangar. That often leads to a bored, disgruntled employee. Let them know what is expected and what opportunities for growth are available within the company.
EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE Once you hire that new mechanic who is a good fit for your company, it’s time to help them grow. A&P schools teach students the basics of aircraft theory. When the graduates land their first job, they need to expand that basic knowledge to the aircraft types they will be working on. Expanding their knowledge can be through on-the-job training or through advanced technical training.
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One way to help them gain advanced training is through
scholarships such as NBAA’s TRACS program. “There are many scholarship opportunities in the business aviation industry that offer both financial and OEM training possibilities,” says Steve King, senior director of Aviation Maintenance for Cox Enterprises, Inc.. “One of these scholarship programs is the Technical Rewards and Career Scholarship program (TRACS), which offers aircraft, engine and avionics specific training courses. This program was founded on the idea of giving back to the business aviation industry by providing opportunities for students and aspiring maintenance technicians to gain knowledge via OEM training courses. Created in 2005 with the first courses awarded in 2006, the TRACS program has grown to encompass twenty two sponsoring organizations and offer forty three aircraft specific training courses. Over 250 scholarships have been awarded since the program began.” It is also important to have strong skills in other areas as
well. “Communication skills are important,” says John Coon, director of maintenance at StarPort Aviation. “The ability to communicate what you want done, how you want it done and when you want it done is critical. This is a skill that needs to be developed to be a successful maintenance manager. Even today, I find myself having problems with communication. I will put all the details in a verbal or written message, but sometimes the other person will miss a part. I often find that what they missed is caused by me not getting all the details into the message. I feel that I have become better at this, but it is one of those skills that we have to work at constantly.” Steve King also stresses the importance of similar non- technical skills. “Generally maintenance technicians got into the aviation industry through technical schools or military experience because a standard college was not their desired path to a career,” he says. “At first, I agreed with this idea of not having to take English, History or Math classes to find a rewarding career because I really only wanted a mechanical- type job. Obviously this is very short sighted when it comes to moving into a management position later, as this usually requires better communication, financial, and HR skills. Many companies offer leadership courses through their HR
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