AAR Corp, a mid-sized company that makes aerospace parts and offers aircraft maintenance, has about 500 open positions, mostly for aircraft mechanics, at its facilities in Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Hot Springs, Ark., and Miami.
But the company, which currently employs about 6,000 people, is having a hard time finding even entry-level candidates with the right basic skills.
The position requires an A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license, which generally takes about 18 months of training under the supervision of another mechanic. Many positions also require candidates to qualify for government security clearances.
Few high schools offer any vocational training anymore, and even most community colleges are geared toward preparing students for four-year universities, said Cheryle Jackson, one of AAR's senior executives.
"We've got to get away from this college-or-bust mentality," she said. "We need to be forward thinking, but some of that has to based on basics that have worked in the past, like training students for skills and trades."
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