The FAA has awarded its next tranche of grants to help foster the development of pilots, maintenance technicians, and other aviation professionals. In all, the agency granted $13.5 million to 32 schools in this latest round of funding under two congressionally-authorized programs to support training for the next generation of the aviation workforce.
A dozen schools will receive a combined $4.5 million from the FAA’s Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Developments Grants program. This funding can be used on curriculums that prepare students to become pilots, aerospace engineers, or drone operators. In addition, the grants may support professional development of teachers.
Located across the country—from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to Grant Pass, Oregon—the selected schools received grants of up to $500,000 each.
Meanwhile, the FAA awarded $9 million to 20 schools through its Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development program. The agency underscored the importance of the need to restore the maintenance technician pipeline. Some 20,000 fewer people work in the aircraft maintenance sector than before the Covid-19 pandemic, the FAA said.
Similar to the pilot grants, the maintenance technician program awarded up to $500,000 to individual schools. These grants can be used to establish new educational programs, provide scholarships or apprenticeships, conduct outreach about careers in the aviation maintenance industry, and support educational opportunities for those in economically disadvantaged areas.