Special Report: To A Higher Standard

The aviation industry’s insurers, employers and maintenance providers recognize the benefit of employing certified professionals. SAE and PAMA are developing an advanced certification program that augments the FAA standards and develops multiple career paths for aircraft maintenance technicians.

Depending on who you talk to, the aircraft maintenance technician (AMT) is either a vanishing breed or an overlooked player. Either way they are the industry’s unsung heroes. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, thousands of U.S. certified A&Ps will retire in the next decade. The aviation industry, still in its infancy, will have a rough time rebounding. These certified technicians keep the "safety first" industry safe and personnel with experience, knowledge and connections are quickly becoming a rarity. Globally, the work force must grow exponentially to keep pace with emerging markets in Latin America, India, Asia and Africa.

The FAA provides a minimum standard for AMTs, but like the bachelor’s degree of today, these standards don’t mean much without a master’s degree and hands-on training. That’s where SAE Institute, PAMA (Professional Aviation Maintenance Association) and PRI (Performance Review Institute) are working to help raise the bar.

These organizations are developing a quality certification program that exceeds FAA standards and offers maintenance providers and technicians the opportunity for a voluntary progressive standard.

The Aviation Maintenance and Production Safety and Quality Certification Program (SAE/PAMA Certification) provides a method of continuous qualification and monitoring. Through training, coursework and hands-on experience, the program will certify technicians in both basic and superior skills and specialties.

Qualified applicants can follow six specific paths to receive certification: Aviation Maintenance Specialist (Technician and Advanced Skills); Aviation Maintenance Engineer (FAA A&P Mechanic, Segment Ratings, Technical Leader); and Technical Leadership Specialist (see chart next page). With a team of experts behind the program, SAE/PAMA Certification begins with America’s youth, and also provides continuous certification requirements, which encourages professional development.

"This certification program is the best hope we have to get some improvements for the work force development and skill levels. The FAA sets the minimum standards, some years ago we tried to get them to raise those standards and we failed. This effort is outside the FAA, industry driven and as such the industry can accept it and can get on board to follow the standards," said the Honorable John J. Goglia, chairman of the SAE Institute G-18 Maintenance Committee and the only mechanic ever to be appointed to the NTSB. "The last effort to raise the standards for maintainers was the FAR Part 66, which was a rewrite of the present Part 65 and I had eight years of my life invested in that effort, which failed."

Encouraging Today’s Youth

The idea behind the SAE/PAMA Certification is that aviation maintenance is a career choice not just a job, so the program’s true beginnings are with A World in Motion (AWIM). AWIM is an outreach program that helps children realize the vast potential, lucrative and fulfilling career in technical fields. Nearly 20 years ago, the SAE Foundation foresaw the shortage in the engineering work force, developed curriculum and found professional volunteers to assist in AWIM, which now involves 1.5 million children in 15,000 schools across the United States.

A hands-on physical science curriculum begins in elementary school and fosters involvement through high school and beyond. Children are drawn into math and science through a project-driven environment. AWIM’s curriculum joins volunteer practicing engineers and scientists with teachers and students to explore a program that includes "Challenges" for students in grades 4-10. These Challenges are designed around math, science and technology standards and incorporate the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics. SAE covers the costs of kits that the teachers use, providing them to schools free of charge.

When AWIM students graduate high school, they are prepared to embark on a technical career because volunteers have mentored them, they have studied their science and math disciplines and have developed a strong interest that they will bring to the work force. Now, students can begin career advancement with SAE/PAMA Certifications where they will continue to enhance their knowledge with hands-on training in the work force and through testing. While enrolled in the program, students may also pursue their FAA certification in a FAR Part 147 school.

AWIM is always looking for industry professionals to volunteer their time to the students; a way to give back to the technical community. To participate as a volunteer, visit www.awim.org or e-mail Matthew M. Miller, manager K-12 education programs, SAE Institute at matt.miller@sae.org.

Developing the Work Force

Any AMT must either attend an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school or must have obtained practical experience in the field in order to receive their A&P FAA certification. However, the FAA allows non-certified people to work in the hangar. Without the proper training and knowledge, mistakes can and have been made.

Currently, mechanics acquire an A&P and then they can go on to obtain an Inspection Authorization (IA). Beyond that they typically build a folder of training certificates that varies from one mechanic to another. There is no standard way for an employer to determine if one mechanic is more qualified than another. The goal of the SAE/PAMA Certification is to create a framework that was devised by the industry and that the industry can use. It highlights the many career paths that are available to the maintenance professional. The program will offer an employer a clear understanding of training and what classes the mechanic has taken before they are hired.

The SAE/PAMA Certification will lay out a system that the organizations hope will generate obvious aviation maintenance career paths and the milestones needed to achieve those paths. It provides the maintenance professional with transferable skill sets. It is a program that the "safety first" industry desperately needs to ensure quality technicians will work in the industry well into the future.

Brain Finnegan, PAMA’s president, helped to develop the program and said, "I want to credit the PAMA Board of Directors and the SAE leadership for devising, supporting and funding the development of the certification program. This program is the brainchild of the PAMA/SAE leadership, used to bring value to our career field." These leaders ultimately mandated the SAE/PAMA Certification. Finnegan added, "These leaders, who are volunteers, were the driving force behind the program."

The coursework is still in development, so it is difficult to discuss specifics. AM was told that the first exam is two hours and will be proctored. The exam has 100, cognitive, scenario-based questions that were developed by aviation maintenance subject matter experts. The exam will test the technician’s knowledge, skills and attitudes. A study guide and practice test will be available, but the exam questions will not be released prior to testing. Further information regarding enrollment will be available later this year, hopfully by the fall, and rollouts of the exam are expected at the end of 2007. Pricing information will also be released this fall.

Once someone enrolls in the SAE/PAMA Certification, they are able to document their training through the program and qualify for FAA certifications because of their experience or they can continue along the specialized non-certified track. Technicians can earn an Aviation Maintenance Engineer certification once both FAA certification and Aviation Maintenance Specialist certifications are achieved. Specialists can earn Aviation Maintenance Engineer certification and AMEs can qualify for Advanced Specialist certification.

SAE/PAMA Certification does not take the place of FAA certification, but it does provide verifiable credentials that produce a well-rounded, more fully realized technician because participants are practicing their trade the entire time instead of just taking a test to become licensed. SAE/PAMA Certification training occurs in the classroom, on the job, through self-study and Internet usage. And the expertise behind the program guarantees a quality certification process.

The Experts

SAE turned 100 in 2005 and represents the collective knowledge of more than 90,000 engineers, technical professionals, academics and government representatives in 100 countries. One of its key roles in the aviation industry is supporting the development of a diverse and capable work force. The SAE Foundation raises funds to support its mission and SAE Institute produces statistical and historical publications that deliver knowledge to its broad base of practitioners. SAE also produces more than 450 professional events every year. Profits from the company’s endeavors are put directly into serving its members and employees.

For 35 years, PAMA has worked to improve methods, skills, learning and achievement in the aviation maintenance field through meetings, seminars and journals. PAMA addresses government queries that deal with maintenance rules and guidelines; championing the aviation industry. The association continuously seeks industry collaboration (as is the case with this certification) and represents the collective knowledge of more than 2,500 members. A decade ago, the FAA granted PAMA the authority to provide IA renewal seminars; to date thousands of renewals were presented to technical specialists. In 2005, PAMA began its affiliation with SAE.

PRI was created in 1990 to "advance the interests of the mobility industries through development of performance standards and administration of quality assurance, accreditation and certification programs." Led by a board of directors, PRI provides international, unbiased product assessment and certification services that facilitate relationships between manufacturers and consumers. PRI also administers Nadcap, an industry-managed, consensus approach to OEM oversight of special processes and product suppliers. The institute is an approved registrar, accredited to certify ISO 9000, AS9100 and ISO 14000.

Certification Benefits

The centralized approach of the SAE/PAMA Certification process ensures an industry-driven consensus standard. By documenting participant’s skill levels, the industry will gain a higher comfort level in the type of professional, ethical employees they will hire. Professionals who have a proven confidence in customer interaction and a transportable set of credentials. Participants will receive a quantified body of knowledge, enhanced specialized skills, and an understanding of regulatory mandates and critical human factors knowledge. The SAE/PAMA Certification develops mechanics that will have verifiable competency and capability along with the confidence in their ability to perform the work to FAA/EASA compliance.

The employer is investing in its work force and its industry. Also, by hiring certified technicians to work in its shop, insurance rates may decrease.

According to Goglia, "This certification is important because maintenance is undergoing the most significant and far-reaching change in the past 70 years. Technology is advancing so fast we need a maintenance community that can handle aircraft that will be operated without pilots. The tech skills for the maintainor, who will be the last person to certify those aircraft for flight, will need to be much greater than in the past and those skills are considerably different from the skills today."

This certification, like any industry certification, requires recertification, which involves recurrent training. "Currently, we’re looking at biannual certification. We’re still working out details but coursework recertification will be consistent with some mid-level of the FAA AMT Awards," Finnegan said. The FAA Aviation Maintenance Award (AMT Award) has five levels of recognition with the "Diamond Award" being the highest level and requiring 100 hours of work. At least every five years industry subject matter experts will review each certification standard.

By utilizing the certification program, aviation mechanics obtain advanced knowledge and insight. Ultimately, PAMA and SAE hope that the airlines, MROs and OEMs who hire the technicians of the program will get employees with strong work ethics and a commitment to their careers. These are the technicians who are held to a higher standard, who will be more predictable and who, by reducing the risk factor, will keep the flying public safe.

SAE Institute/PAMA Aviation Maintenance and Production Technician Certifications

AWIM A World in Motion

FAR 147

Aviation Maintenance Technology

Aviation Maintenance Specialist

Technician

Aviation Maintenance Engineer

FAA A&P Mechanic

Aviation Maintenance Specialist

Advanced Skills

Aviation Maintenance Engineer

Segment Ratings

Technical Leadership Specialist

Aviation Maintenance Engineer

Technical Leader