Aviation internship program launched
February 28, 2012, 02:58 pm
AAR Aircraft Component Services recently launched a hands-on internship program for students from the Westbury Union Free School District in Long Island, New York. The internship program is designed to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields such as aviation.
Through the School to Work Program, students from Westbury's STEM Magnet School will have the opportunity to get their feet wet in a variety of tech fields. Students in the program will serve as interns to AAR, learning the behind-the-scenes details of aviation engineering and production, Long Island Business News reported.
"Aviation is a high-growth industry, in need of skilled workers to fill job openings today and provide a pipeline of talent for the future," David Storch, AAR chairman and graduate of the Westbury School District, told the source. "It is imperative that private industry works closely with its government representatives and academic institutions to promote education and put people to work."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand attended the launch of the internship program, as she is currently working on legislation to make similar programs and internships more readily available to students k-12. Gillibrand is calling for more private partnerships with educational institutions to get children interested in math and science fields through hands-on experiences and programs, the source reported.
In Rockford, Illinois, an collegiate level aviation program is looking to work with high school students to promote interest in the industry. Similar to the internship program in Long Island, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University hopes to work with students from Jefferson High School, to expose talented students to the many careers available in aviation and aerospace, WREX reported.
The partnership would bring courses in aviation and aerospace to the high school, hoping to pique interest in freshman students. The program would not only encourage careers in aviation, but focus on receiving a well-rounded education to better prepare them for the professional world, the source reported.
"When our students complete our program, we want them to go to college to complete their degree and that gives them access to the higher paying jobs," Leo Murphy from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University told the source. "There are other fields in aviation where they can get professional training right out of high school and also get high paying jobs, that's the key."
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