One of ARSA’s top priorities is workforce development. ARSA therefore provides its membership with opportunities to train the future workers and leaders of the aviation industry.

One way for a repair station to invest in its community and help develop a stronger local workforce is to partner with a local trade school or community college. Two federal grant opportunities are available to fund partnerships with higher education institutions. While both require the school be the named applicant, the funds may be used toward a joint project with a business or local employer.

The first funding opportunity is the “Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants Program” (TAACCCT), offered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education and supporting projects seeking to provide resources or training for students’ educational and workforce development purposes. The program offers grants ranging from $2,372,500 to $2.75 million to single institution applicants and grants of up to $25 million to consortium applicants. There are several requirements the project must meet to receive funding under TAACCCT. Perhaps most importantly, one or more employers must be actively engaged in the project.

A second funding opportunity is an Aviation Research and Development Grant via the FAA. This is not available to projects intended to educate or train the workforce, but rather to support research in the “fields of science, engineering, aviation medicine, and human factors with potential relevance to the long-term growth of civil aviation.” Research projects in one of these fields are eligible for a grant of up to $5 million.

For information on federal grants, visit Grants.gov.

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