30 July, 2019:AAR, Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) and the City of Norfolk have announced AIM as the newest AAR EAGLE Career Pathway partner at the college's main campus in Norfolk.
Beginning this fall, AIM students around the country will have the opportunity to receive onsite job training and mentorship at AAR's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangars and graduate with employment and reimbursable advanced certification opportunities.
With 12 campuses in 10 states and fast-growing enrollment, AIM is the largest producer of new aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) in the aviation industry. AAR's EAGLE Career Pathway initiative adds a new internship component to AIM's 23-month AMT program. In the program, students complete a site visit at one of AAR's US MRO facilities based in Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Miami, Duluth and Rockford for initial onsite mentoring. During their winter and spring vacations, the students then return to the site for an AMT internship with the AAR team.
The students who graduate from the AIM and EAGLE Pathway programs will be extended job offers to join AAR as an entry-level AMT. They also have the option to continue the EAGLE Pathway program to obtain an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate or pursue another of AAR's career pathways, including maintenance operations, management, quality control and safety, which will be eligible for tuition reimbursement from the company upon completion.
AIM is the sixth academic institution to join the EAGLE Pathway program. AAR just graduated its first cohort of participants at Olive-Harvey College of the City Colleges of Chicago, where AAR helped to build the institution's new transportation program and design their newly-offered aircraft sheet metal program.
IN THE PICTURE: Jeremiah Scarbrough, AIM Regional Director; Zoe Thompson, AIM Director of Education; Gerald Yagen, AIM President; Ryan Goertzen, AAR VP Workforce Development; Kenyetta Goshen, Norfolk City Public Schools Senior Director; Wynter Benda, City of Norfolk Senior Director; Thomas Smigiel Jr., Norfolk City Council Member; Ben Clark, AIM Director of Student Affairs; Bruce Jones, AIM Campus Executive Director; Dr. Joel English; VP of Education Aviation Institute of Maintenance; Pat Thomas, AIM Regional Director