WASHINGTON, DC, October 20, 2011 – Job creation may be lagging in the broader economy, but the aviation maintenance industry is open for business.

An informal survey of aviation maintenance companies conducted at the Aeronautical Repair Station Association’s (ARSA) 2011 Strategic Leadership Conference on Oct. 20 found that maintenance providers are creating new positions but are not always able to find skilled technical employees the industry needs.

The survey asked senior executives of leading aviation MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) companies attending the meeting about their hiring and growth during 2011 as well as their plans to expand in 2012.

Eighty five percent of the survey’s respondents hired skilled aviation technical workers in 2011, creating more than 1,700 jobs in a small sample group of 13 companies (out of more than 4000 FAA certificated repair stations). Seventy percent of those repair stations also indicated that they plan to continue hiring into 2012. While the growth is certainly good news, 85 percent of those companies reported difficulty finding skilled technical workers.

While not a scientific sample, those in attendance at ARSA’s annual gathering of MRO executives and industry leaders expressed confidence that the survey reflects the broader trends in the market for civil aviation services. Extrapolating this data indicates that the MRO industry is primed for growth and that choosing an education and career in airline maintenance provides a long-term trajectory for high-paying, much sought after work.

“Contract maintenance providers are enjoying a robust market fueled by a rapidly expanding global industry,” said ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein. “While this news is encouraging, these results reflect the fact that biggest hindrance to continued growth is the shortage of the highly trained professional engineers required by today’s modern aircraft.”

To facilitate conversation about how to attract employees, those in attendance heard from Raymond Thompson, president of the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) who shared thoughts on how the industry can encourage careers in aircraft MRO. ARSA and ATEC also announced plans to enhance cooperation between the two organizations to advance the common goal of promoting industry workforce development.

To locate an exciting position at ARSA member companies and others in the aviation industry, please visit the http://careercenter.arsa.org.

Contact:
Jason Langford
Communications Manager
703 739 9543

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ARSA is an Alexandria, Virginia-based trade association that represents aviation maintenance and manufacturing companies. Founded in 1984, the association has a distinguished record of advocating for repair stations, providing regulatory compliance assistance to the industry, and representing repair stations on Capitol Hill and in the media.

~~~ posted 10/20/11 ~~~ 

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