A healthy increase in newly certificated mechanics in 2021 did not offset momentum lost during the pandemic, leaving the new technician pipeline at least 20% below the levels needed to meet rising demand, according to a new report.
The latest edition of the Aviation Technical Education Council (ATEC) Pipeline Report, which is produced annually to chart U.S. airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic workforce trends, found that 6,929 individuals earned their FAA mechanic certificate in 2021 — a 33% increase from the previous year.
While the jump was the biggest in recent history, the increase left the total number of new mechanics short of 2019 levels and did not make up for the previous year’s 30% drop in certifications due to the pandemic, according to the report.
Considering the significant decline, ATEC estimates that the pandemic cost the aviation industry 5,000 new mechanics.
The global aviation maintenance industry was facing a shortage of certified mechanics before the pandemic, which means meeting today’s demand for A&Ps is even more challenging, ATEC officials said.
“The number of prospects in the mechanic pipeline needs to grow by at least 20% to meet industry’s needs,” said ATEC President and WSU Tech Aviation Program Dean James Hall. “National enrollment at A&P schools is only growing at about 2% per year, so we have a lot of work to do.”
The council has several initiatives focused on spreading awareness and funneling more students into A&P programs.
Much of that effort is being driven through Choose Aerospace, an ATEC-backed non-profit that is deploying aviation curriculum into high schools across the country. The initiative is focused on getting students on an earlier path to mechanic certification, while building pipelines directly into A&P programs.
Other trends noted in the report:
- Repair stations hired the most new mechanics, scooping up 31% of all aviation-employed A&P graduates, followed by regional airlines at 17%. Major passenger airlines came in third, but they are the fastest growing aviation employer segment for new mechanic entrants.
- Last year, major passenger and cargo airlines combined to hire 25% of all A&P gradates, up from 15% in 2020. If this keeps up, it will put more pressure on sources that traditionally feed skilled technicians to large carriers — notably repair stations and regional carriers — to fill open positions.
- Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools continue to increase their market share of producing mechanics. Last year, 67 out of every 100 new mechanics went through A&P school. The other 14 came from military and 19 from civilian work experience.
- Females make up 2.63% of the population, a number that is trending up, but only slightly. One positive sign is that 9% of all new A&P graduates last year were female.
You can download the 2022 Pipeline Report & Aviation Maintenance Technician School Directory at ATEC-AMT.org.