FAA Grant Program Steers Students Toward Aviation Careers

As part of its career-development program, the FAA announced yesterday (March 5) it will dispense $13.5 million to 32 schools and colleges nationwide “to attract and train students for careers as pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.” A dozen of those institutions will share $4.5 million from the agency’s Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Development Grant program, earmarked for creating and delivering curriculums that help prepare high school students to become pilots, aerospace engineers and drone pilots. The funds can also go toward teachers’ professional development.

With an estimated 20,000 fewer people employed in the aviation maintenance field since the COVID pandemic, the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development program will grant the remaining $9 million to 20 schools, colleges and businesses to promote reloading that industry segment. According to the FAA announcement, “Recipients can use the funding to establish new educational programs; provide scholarships or apprenticeships; conduct outreach about careers in the aviation maintenance industry; and support educational opportunities related to aviation maintenance in economically disadvantaged areas.”

The FAA offers locations and details on grant recipients on this page of its website.