Avionics News December 2021 - 37

rates, partly due to the pandemic. The organization
estimates more than 75 million baby boomers will
choose to retire soon. Furthermore, there are not enough
Generation X (born 1965 to 1980) people to replace the
retiring boomers. Bloomberg reports that 1.7 million
people retired early since the start of 2020 due to the
pandemic.
At the same time boomers are retiring, aviation
businesses are returning to pre-COVID-19 levels. In April,
JSfirm.com reported over 64% of 200 companies surveyed
expected moderate or significant growth during this
year. Less than 4% expected any decline, and 11% of the
companies surveyed planned to hire avionics technicians.
In fact, avionics technicians were among those in the
highest demand. Employers have told us they could hire
all of the aviation maintenance graduates from all of the
schools in the nation and still not meet their needs.
Taken as a whole, this data tells us that now is the
time to start a career in avionics. One can earn avionics
qualifications from a quality school in two years. In four
years, one can earn an aircraft electronics technician
certificate and an A&P license. Having dual qualifications
will ensure a person will be the first considered for any
entry-level aviation maintenance position.
By starting in the fall of 2022, a student can graduate
with dual qualifications in 2026, which puts him or
her in the middle of the huge number of baby boomer
retirements. Coming into the workforce at a time like this
gives job hunters good choices. Multiple sectors of the
aviation industry will be offering good starting salaries and
benefit packages. The job hunters will be able to choose a
location where they would like to work. They will be able
to follow the money, the weather or the experience.
Keep in mind, there are not enough Generation X
folks to replace the retiring boomers, so the 2024 to 2026
graduates will still be able to enjoy a good job market
after they've gained five years of experience. An avionics
technician with five years of experience is valuable to
employers, regardless of the job market. At the five-year
point, employers will work hard to keep techs, and other
employers will be working hard to steal them away.
If high school students haven't done so already, now is
the time for them to investigate prospective schools. Find
out where their graduates work. Find out what kind of
education, certificate or degree is available.
Those who are not high school seniors, or seniors who
still have the ability to choose classes in the spring, can
prepare for an aviation technical career by concentrating
on math and the physical sciences. You may be surprised,
but writing classes are important as well. Clearly written
information on status tags and work orders is extremely
important for safety. In addition, if a school has a shop
class, a student should take it.
In recent years, many students entering college have
required some mathematical remediation. In other
words, they are not ready to take a college algebra class.
David Coder, a student at
Pennsylvania College of Technology,
checks the flight director in the
college's Dassault Falcon 20.
Fortunately, colleges conduct math testing and place the
incoming students in an appropriate class. Unfortunately,
these classes result in a longer time in school or a heavy
schedule down the road. Few students enter college with
a writing or reading deficiency, but the same rule applies.
Colleges will correct the problem, but the student will end
up remaining longer in college.
In general, students entering college over the last
decade or so have less experience with hand tools. Getting
some experience working with tools is a good thing,
whether it's part of a high school class or at home. Yes, go
ahead, take apart the bicycle or radio, and reassemble.
I expect the biweekly email I receive will continue
to include a list of openings stretching across several
pages. Job prospects for new avionics technicians will
remain strong, especially as the world emerges from the
pandemic. q
avionics news * december 2021 37
http://JSfirm.com
Avionics News December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News December 2021
