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| Students from Aviation High School in New York city get a unique insight into their future aviation careers as part of a training partnership between the IAM and Aviation High School. The program includes training at the IAM Winpisinger Education Center, visits to federal transportation agencies, a special White House visit and a tour of IAM Headquarters, above, with IAM Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja (twelfth from left). |
The IAM and New York City’s Aviation High School celebrated 10 years of working together to give future aircraft maintenance technicians a unique insight into the U.S. transportation industry. Each year, Aviation High School students spend four days in Washington, D.C. and the IAM’s William Winpisinger Education and Technology Center to learn about unions and the aviation industry. This year, 27 students took part and started with a visit to the government agencies closely associated with the transportation sector, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Mediation Board.
The tour of D.C. included an exclusive White House visit with Department of Education (DOE) administrators for a Youth Voice Session. Students and DOE officials discussed the students’ future ambitions, their technical training and how the IAM/Aviation High School partnership will influence their future career path.
At the Winpisinger Center, students participated in classroom instruction in topics ranging from Labor History to the responsibilities of having an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license. The future leaders of aviation also completed a research project on how gender impacts employment patterns in the US aviation industry.
The program ended with a tour of IAM Headquarters and closing remarks from IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja, himself an Aviation High School graduate. “It is our duty as a labor union to offer these students a genuine understanding of the realities and challenges of the U.S. aviation industry,” said Pantoja. “I am extremely proud of the IAM’s continuing partnership with Aviation High School and of the students who will be the next generation of aviation professionals.”
