TCC aviation and logistics students receive pins in first completion ceremony

Representatives from aviation and logistics industries will join Tarrant County College students in May to mark their entrance into the workforce.

The first completion ceremony for students at the Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics is set for 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 3 (Alliance Airport, 2301 Horizon Dr., Fort Worth). The event will recognize 60 students completing their degrees and certificates in Aviation Maintenance Technology, Professional Pilot and Logistics and Supply Chain Management programs. Graduates will hear from College and industry speakers and receive pins in honor of their accomplishments.

“Aviation Maintenance Technology students undergo 1,900 hours of instruction, comparable in length to a bachelor’s degree. Our Professional Pilot candidates earn the same flight certifications as students in four-year academic programs, but in just two and a half years. TCC Logistics and Supply Chain Management students often have full-time jobs in the industry while progressing through their studies,” noted J. Clinton Grant, dean for Aviation, Business and Logistics. “We are proud to celebrate the hard work of our students to prepare for success in these fields that are incredibly important to our economy and way of life.”

TCC provides a variety of affordable, flexible pathways into aviation, transportation and logistics careers.

Students in the College’s Logistics and Supply Chain Management program gain hands-on training for the logistics industry, responsible for moving products and materials from suppliers to consumers. The program features a warehouse laboratory with an on-demand system and offers an Associate of Applied Science as well as certificates in Transportation Management and Warehouse Management. A 2017 report commissioned by global logistics company DHL indicates that the industry “is facing a talent shortage that is quickly escalating from a gap to a potential crisis.” Estimates indicate that for every graduate with supply chain skills, there are six available jobs, a disproportion that could grow.

The Aviation Maintenance Technology program, approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), includes Associate of Applied Science and certificate options that teach students the maintenance that keeps aircraft in proper operating condition. TCC’s future technicians learn with professional training equipment, including a fuselage mockup of a G-280 Gulfstream aircraft donated by Gulf Aerospace and aircraft windows donated by Southwest Airlines. The 2018 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook, an industry forecast, notes that “as new generation airplanes become more prominent in the global fleet, advances in airplane technology will drive an increased need for technicians skilled in avionics, composites and digital troubleshooting.” The Outlook projects that North American airlines will need 189,000 new maintenance technicians over the next two decades.

The TCC Professional Pilot program trains students for careers as commercial pilots and flight instructors through FAA-approved curriculum. Graduates may earn an Associate of Applied Science or certificate. The Boeing 2018 Outlook states that “as the pilot labor supply has continued to tighten around the world, regional markets that have relied heavily on recruiting pilots from outside their home locations are increasingly seeking to recruit, train and develop locally sourced pilots.” Boeing estimates that North America will need 206,000 new civil aviation pilots through 2037.

TCC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology and Professional Pilot studies offer both day and evening classes. The next Aviation Program information session is Monday, May 20.

The Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence completion ceremony honors aviation and logistics students ahead of the College-wide graduation ceremonies, scheduled for Saturday, May 11, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.