U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi recently presented Harper College leaders with $500,000 of federal funding to help Harper launch an aviation maintenance program. Pictured (from left) are Walt Mundt, trustee; Bill Kelley, board of trustees chair; Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper president; Herb Johnson, trustee; Krishnamoorthi and Pat Stack, trustee.
Harper College is preparing to launch an aviation maintenance program to address a gap in affordable training and education in the northern Illinois region.
Helping to jump start the program and position Harper as a regional leader within this in-demand career field is $500,000 secured by U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who on Friday presented college leaders with the federal funding.
“We are grateful to Congressman Krishnamoorthi for his continued commitment to expanding opportunities for our community that connect students with high-quality, sustainable careers,” said Dr. Avis Proctor, president of Harper College. “This support helps meet employer and industry needs while having a lasting impact on career outcomes for our community.”
Joining Congressman Krishnamoorthi were a group of aviation leaders who took part in a roundtable discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry and the role Harper can play in developing the next generation of skilled workers.
The federal funding will go toward program expenses such as curriculum development and the cost of tools and instructional equipment like brakes, sheet metal and other aircraft components.
The federal funding that U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi secured will help Harper begin an aviation maintenance program to address a gap in affordable training and education in the northern Illinois region.
“I am thrilled to be able to secure this key funding for Harper College’s Aviation Maintenance Program,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “It’s long been a priority of mine to expand career and technical educational opportunities for students across our state, and I can’t wait to see the new heights to which Harper soars thanks to this funding.”
The aviation roundtable panel featured Michael Monreal, pilot for United Airlines and Co-CEO of KM Property Management; Bill Sponsler, chief pilot for American Airlines; Greg Dellinger, outreach and governmental affairs for AAR, a global aviation services company; and Sean Doyle, deputy regional administrator for the FAA’s Great Lakes Region.
Amidst a wave of aging baby boomers and a post-COVID rebound in the aviation industry, industry experts forecast a widening gap in aviation maintenance workers. Meanwhile, the median regional compensation for aircraft mechanics and service technicians is above $75,000, according to Lightcast labor market data.
“What makes people in aviation lose sleep is bringing in talent to fill needs across the industry. Community colleges play a huge role in that,” Doyle said. “We can’t fill these roles without the work of community colleges.”
As part of the event, Dr. Avis Proctor (center) introduced an aviation roundtable panel including (from left) Greg Dellinger, outreach and governmental affairs for AAR, a global aviation services company; Bill Sponsler, chief pilot for American Airlines; Sean Doyle, deputy regional administrator for the FAA’s Great Lakes Region; and Michael Monreal, pilot for United Airlines and Co-CEO of KM Property Management.
Also on hand were representatives of Barrington High School, which has an aviation club and is partnering with Harper to establish dual-credit courses that would award college credit to students while still in high school. Students from the aviation club were also in attendance and were excited about the career pathways and opportunities highlighted in the roundtable discussion.
While northern Illinois is a prime location for aviation, it remains underserved with few options for accredited airline mechanic and technical schools in the region. Private schools are often cost-prohibitive, and public-school options are not always accessible. Other aviation maintenance programs at community colleges within Illinois are located 40 to 300 miles from Harper’s region.
Through this funding, Harper will develop a recertification course for renewing inspection authorizations and a dual credit course that introduces high school students to the aviation field. At the same time, the college will pursue Federal Aviation Administration certification to offer Airframe Technician Certificate and Powerplant Certificate programs. Airframe and Powerplant technicians perform a variety of maintenance and service tasks on aircraft. Harper is also developing an aviation management program and exploring an aviation pilot program.
