Grant funds new program to close gender gap in aviation training
Press Release
Release Date: September 13, 2019
EVERETT, Wash. – Everett Community College is receiving a $412,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a coalition of educators in work to increase the number of women entering the aerospace technician workforce.
EvCC is partnering with Everett Public Schools, Marysville School District, Mukilteo School District and several industry partners to launch Building Equity for Aerospace Training.
“Creating equitable access to compete for STEM jobs is vital to the health and quality of life of individuals and families. This grant brings together educators who share the goal of closing the gender gap in aviation and increasing opportunities for women in aviation technician careers,” said Rob Prosch, EvCC Interim Dean of Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Careers.
The majority of the grant funding will support professional development for middle and high school teachers, community college faculty and career counselors considered to be part of the STEM-to-aerospace career pathway.
Up to 60 percent of the female student career and technical education pipeline is lost from middle to high school among participating schools. The declining trend continues in the transition to higher education.
By the end of the three-year project, participating schools hope to see a 30 percent increase in female students enrolling in career and technical education classes that support students in pursuing aerospace degree programs at EvCC.
The median wage for an aircraft mechanic/service technician in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metropolitan area is $70,620 according to the Washington State Employment Security Department. Industry partners in the grant report that as a starting salary for students hired directly out of a regional aviation maintenance technician school. Industry partners in the project include The Boeing Company, Delta Airlines and Glasair Aviation.
The emphasis to recruit more females into the historically male-dominated career is also motivated by the demand for skilled technicians. The number of individuals needed to perform aircraft inspections, preventative and routine maintenance, and repairs is outpacing the number of students pursuing an education in avionics and aviation maintenance.
The Building Equity for Aerospace Training project will address this issue by engaging educators in applying equitable teaching strategies known to improve engagement, retention and achievement for young women to technical curriculum found in science and career and technical education classes. This work will complement student-focused opportunities for early career engagement and near-peer mentoring experiences that support exploration in the field of aerospace.
EvCC’s FAA-approved Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School has been providing training for more than 50 years. The aviation maintenance and advanced avionics programs offer stackable certificates and associate degrees. Students learn from industry experts and get practical, hands-on experience in a shop environment. For more information, visit EverettCC.edu/Aviation.