Good help is always hard to find, but a Conroe company says 2004 will be the year it takes steps to assure itself of quality employees in the future.

Wing Aviation, which opened an aircraft heavy maintenance operation a year ago at the Montgomery County Airport, will offer a full scholarship to at least one aspiring aviation maintenance technician so the student can acquire his or her FAA certifications.

"We are looking for that one person in the Houston area whose life will be significantly enhanced by our offer," said Brian Wing, company president.

"We are setting up the criteria now, but our objective is to find a young person who wants a career in aviation maintenance and see to it that person is afforded every opportunity not to just go to school to get his or her license, but who will also have a job waiting for them after they graduate," Wing said.

"The recipient doesn't have to agree to go to work for us in order to be eligible for the scholarship, but we would certainly like for them to consider us upon graduation," Wing added.

Typically, it can take up to three years and several thousand dollars to complete an FAA-approved maintenance technician program. There's at least one such school in the Houston area and one in San Antonio, but Wing isn't necessarily limiting attendance to those two programs.

Aircraft-especially the kinds of large jet aircraft we work on here-are getting more and more complex and it takes a dedication to education as well as continuing education to keep them airworthy," Zimerman said. "We think the scholarship program is something that will not only help a young person interested in aviation maintenance reach their goal, but we're hoping, too, it helps us grow valued employees for the future."

As it is with any other type of scholarship, certain criteria such as grades, attitude and aptitude will be considered by Wing and his company when reviewing applications.

"Certain grade levels will need to be maintained and we plan to talk periodically with the scholarship winner's instructors," Wing said. "We very much want to offer this opportunity to anyone who qualifies, but we also want to ensure that our money is being spent wisely."

The scholarship is something they have thought about during this first year of operation.

"We've been warmly embraced by the aviation industry this past year, so this is our way of giving something back for the very good first year we've had," Wing said.

Seed money for the scholarship is coming out of Wing's pockets, but Wing said at least one major fundraising event benefiting the scholarship program will be conducted.

While an actual date for awarding the scholarship hasn't yet been set, Wing is encouraging those interested to send resumes to his company now.

"We'll keep all names in a database as well as on our e-mail system and we'll stay in touch with all who apply," Wing said. "We will maintain good communication with them and keep them up on all the details.

"The fact we've not set a date for the award should not deter anyone who is interested because this is something that I'm telling you will happen," Wing said.

If interested, send either a resume or letter of interest in application for the scholarship to Wing Aviation, 100 General Thomas Kelly Blvd., Montgomery County Airport Bldg. 15-A, Conroe, Texas 77303.

Empowering Mechanics

Salvatore Licata fixed airplanes for American Airlines for 19 years before leaving the aviation maintenance industry to take a job as a network manager for an executive search firm in New York because it offered him more money, an annual bonus, and nights, weekends, and holidays off.

Todd Blankenship managed to hold on to his 13-year mechanic job during the Northwest Airlines layoffs, but recently left the company because of the toll the industry turmoil was taking on his family. He now works in the home remodeling business because it offers him more freedom.

Like Licata and Blankenship, more aircraft mechanics are choosing to work in computer and automotive industries for their more dynamic work environment, according to a recent survey from market research firm Frost & Sullivan. At the same time, the aviation industry's outsourcing and labor-saving techniques are discouraging new mechanics from entering the industry.

U.S. Labor Department statistics indicate that at least 12,000 new A&P mechanics will be needed in the years ahead to keep pace with forecast expansion and to compensate for the retirement of experienced technicians. By 2006, the industry will require about 155,000 mechanics, up 13 percent from the current workforce. Statistics predict an annual deficit of about 4,000 aircraft mechanics.

No one would disagree that something must be done. Despite the bleak labor outlook, Frost & Sullivan analyst Merl Fuchs said the aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) market can reverse this negative trend by developing informational recruiting tools to better attract candidates.

"Companies can invest in employees through in-house training programs to aid long-term career growth within the enterprise and give them a sense of commitment on the part of the company," Fuchs said. "Other employee-satisfaction strategies include relocation packages and implementation of flex-time."

Indeed, a study conducted by Sibson & Company indicates a lack of training and development opportunities was found to be one of the two main reasons why workers consider leaving an employer, pay practices being the other.

"You've got to look beyond the money," said Joyce Gioia, an employee-retention expert and president of management consulting firm The Herman Group. "Money may be a contributing factor, but other factors appear to be more important than money, like training, culture, and employer relationships."

Banyan Air Services, Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport's largest fixed base operator, strives to create a corporate culture that that promotes fun and opportunity for advancement.

"When new hires come on board they undergo orientation training on the first day and then hook up with a team leader or mentor," said Banyan president Don Campion. "Then they receive on-the-job training for 90 days. At that point, if the employee and team leader are satisfied, we send the mechanic to an aircraft training program for a specific airframe and continue paying them while they are in school."

Banyan mechanics set goals and team leaders help them measure progress toward those goals every six months. So if the mechanic's goal is to become proficient at taxiing and running up a King Air then the team leaders train them in that area and monitor their progress.

While some mechanics prefer to stick with wrench turning, many others are looking for these types of opportunities and challenges. Fuchs said empowerment is a key word in today's aviation market: "One way to empower mechanics is to give them more responsibilities and more say in how the organization goes about business instead of just giving them a wrench and telling them to get to work."

Human resources consultant Terry Hill said the goal is to push decision-making down to the lowest possible levels, encourage risk-taking, and reward both successes and failures.

"We want to reward people for efforts, whether successful or not, that are attempts to serve the customer," said Hill. "Begin discussions with individual employees and groups of employees to explore ways in which they could assume more decision-making power. Employees would obviously have the best insight as to what decisions they could start making on their own."

Banyan is a strong believer in empowering its employees. "If there is a better way of doing something, then we want our people to tell us what that is and participate in finding that solution," said Campion. "If you want to excel in aviation, if you want to work on a variety of airplanes, if you want to have an experience from piston all the way to jet, you can have all of these professional challenges within a culture that is very employee-driven. Employees can take responsibility for the success of their departments and therefore the success of their careers at Banyan."

Workplace Diversity Needs More Work

Aviation occupations, although changing, do not mirror the diversity of the overall American work force. Although aviation employees as a group are not dramatically different in sex, race, and ethnic makeup from all employees, the representation of women and racial minorities varies substantially from occupation to occupation. Pilots and senior managers continue to be predominantly white and male; aviation maintenance technicians are less likely to be white but they are mostly men. The aviation work force is still affected by a history of discrimination.

As a major training ground for aviation maintenance technicians, the Air Force's aviation-related workforce is noticeably more diverse than the civilian aviation workforce. Minorities and women are better represented in military aviation specialties than they used to be, but with the exception of minority male technicians, their presence in these jobs is small and still significantly lagging.

Encouraging minorities from all backgrounds to consider aviation careers will enable the industry to draw from a much larger pool of prospective students and, eventually, have a dramatic effect on diversity in the aviation work force.

Statistics compiled by the FAA suggest that women are making strides toward greater representation in several aviation careers. However, these statistics also suggest that the number of women certified mechanics remains very low. Estimates from December 31, 1995 to December 31, 2000 placed the number of active female aircraft mechanics between 3,914 and 5,047. This represents just slightly more than one percent of active aircraft mechanics.

Recent declining enrollments by all populations in aviation technical programs have also been linked to the poor professional status of aviation maintenance careers. Although that perception may be changing, the word "mechanic" still has negative connotations attached to it. The industry should move away from the grease monkey mentality to one that portrays the professionalism and career potential represented by air carrier and other aviation pursuits. It is important for technical education institutions to instill within their students the pride and ethical roots of this emerging new professionalism.

Some women encountered difficulties in learning certain specialties because of their lack of experience with tools and machinery prior to attending military technical schools. The military had not anticipated this situation and did not make any curriculum adjustments to compensate.

Without exception, all maintenance schools have subliminal and covert barriers to learning for women. Traditional maintenance training institutions and the industrial workplace have been wholly male; women in these environments have fewer, if any designated facilities to support their involvement as maintenance professionals, including amenities such as restrooms.

Despite the obstacles, there are organizations attempting to recruit and retain minorities in aviation. They are Minority Pilot Association/Academy, Women in Aviation International, the International Black Aerospace Council, the Organization of Black Airline Pilots, and Negro Airmen International, which primarily recruit pilots. Organizations like these, that give back to the community, can be helpful.

Women in Aviation International boasts having more than 100 females from three aviation areas: aeronautical technology, flight, and administration.

The Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance is a nonprofit organization formed for the purpose of championing women's professional growth and enrichment in the aviation maintenance fields by providing opportunities for sharing information and networking, and education.

Mechanics have long been the airline industry's backbone, invisible to passengers yet indispensable to their flight. Across the industry, many mechanics are leaving their employers and sometimes the profession for better-paying jobs and better hours. General aviation mechanics carry heavy responsibilities regarding safety of flight and airworthiness issues, but they are often not recognized and are not properly compensated for their work. With cultural diversity increasing in the United States at a rapid rate, minorities can be viewed as an untapped resource for the maintenance industry.