ARSA CORNER BY BRETT LEVANTO, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, AERONAUTICAL REPAIR STATION ASSOCIATION ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME
REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE LARGER WORLD — WHERE WE ARE ON THE CYCLE OF CRISIS AND RELIEF THAT HAS DEFINED AVIATION FOR DECADES — TAKING CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE AND FINDING OTHERS TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK WILL ALWAYS BE A PARAMOUNT CONCERN.
Sure, a desperate need for workers
can turn into uncertain employment in a pretty quick turn — we’ve seen that. Regardless of where we are in the business cycle, the time will always come when orders pick up, technology enhances need and we as an industry demand more technicians to go to work. So, as someone who has spent
several years studying and learning about all the ways people enter and thrive in aviation careers, I’m going to continue focusing on the human element of aviation maintenance. Specifically, that focus will center on the tools available to us to find new, skilled individuals who can thrive in this industry. In March, I hosted a workforce- focused panel discussion during ARSA’s 2020 Annual Conference. The session included Mike Miller from the U.S. Defense Department’s Personnel and Family Support Center. Mike’s mission at our event was the same as it is every other day: Provide a passionate description of the professional needs of transitioning service members and illustrate for the general public how we can serve to meet those needs. Each year, more than 200,000
service members take off their uniforms and begin civilian careers. To put that number in context, respondents to ARSA’s 2019 member survey (the final data from this year’s survey are not yet available) reported a total of 4,615 openings. The human capital needs of aviation maintenance companies are significant but would
32
DOMmagazine.com | may 2020
require attracting only a fraction of the bodies completing military careers each year to eliminate. As Mike explained to our audience in March, those individuals have already demonstrated the technical capabilities and general professionalism to succeed in our world. They also spend a year preparing for their transition out, learning about the opportunities and challenges awaiting them. So how do we get involved? Mike shared a number of different
resources. As I’ve learned, there are more out there – particularly beyond the walls of the FAA and other aviation entities – than we can imagine. It’s best to take them one program at a time and try to see how, as you would when putting together a complicated puzzle, each piece fits into your larger picture. For this reading, our piece is the
Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program.
“The DoD SkillBridge program is an opportunity for service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of service,” the program’s website explains. “Separating Service members can be granted … permissive duty to focus solely on training full-time with approved industry partners … [who] offer real-world training and work experience in in-demand fields of work while having the opportunity to evaluate the service member’s suitability for the work.”
SkillBridge provides a mechanism
for aviation employers to connect directly with service members, provide training and grow them into career positions for immediate placement upon their separation from service. There is cost sharing by the government, as the service member’s salary will initially be paid by their military unit, and applications can come from any specialty or job; since the interest of the applicant is the primary factor in program selection, repair stations and related employers can pull from technical skill sets beyond aviation. As ARSA works to improve policy
and provide resources related to aviation career development, the association encourages members to connect today to programs like SkillBridge that can provide access to military talent and professionalism. To get started, visit: dodskillbridge.
usalearning.gov.
Brett Levanto Levanto is vice president of operations of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C. managing firm and
client communications in conjunction with regulatory and legislative policy initiatives. He provides strategic and logistical support for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and previously supported the Aviation Technician Education Council, the American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association and Associated Equipment Distributors.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
