July-August 2022 - 50

A R S A INS IG H T
Anyone Fits
ARSA has supported AMT Magazine's " 40 Under 40 " Awards since its inception,
not just since I was presented with the award in 2015. The world will depend on
young professionals for decades and the award can help attract more talent.
Capturing attention of " the youth " is important.
By Brett Levanto
Brett Levanto is
vice president of
operations of Obadal,
Filler, MacLeod &
Klein, P.L.C. managing
firm and client
communications
in conjunction with
regulatory and
legislative policy
initiatives. He
provides strategic
and logistical support
for the Aeronautical
Repair Station
Association.
From the FAA-administered " Youth Access to
American Jobs in Aviation Task Force, " on which
ARSA represents the interests of maintenance providers,
to the helicopter parent-overseen " Raising
Aviation Teens " on Facebook, there is no shortage
of interest on minors.
When it comes recruiting new professionals,
though, it behooves us to remember the adage that
age and experience can beat youth and exuberance.
As the Youth Task Force learned, aviation program
students come in all ages: Survey responses from
educational institution attendees regarding when
they first
learned about
the industry stretched all
the way up to 50. At an age
when some professionals are
beginning long countdowns
to retirement, aviation gets
students embarking on new
career journeys.
The focus on classrooms,
playgrounds, social media
accounts and other denizens
of " youth, " may build a
robust pipeline of talent, but
it doesn't recognize today's
demands. Every point of
career entry needs support
now, which demands we
recognize that anyone with the proper skills and
capabilities can fit.
In 2019, a coalition of industry groups submitted
a draft advisory circular to the FAA illustrating the
aviation maintenance profession. The industry's
submission demonstrated the breadth and depth
of career entry, development and professional growth.
" There is no single point of entry or career trajectory
for aviation maintenance professionals, " the
submission said. " Depending on knowledge, education,
experience, skill and curiosity, individuals with
an interest in the kinds of hands-on, intellectually
challenging and technically skilled work performed
in all manner of aviation maintenance facilities may
50 JULY/AUGUST 2022
Recognizing opportunities for recruiting and
retaining " mature " candidates will position maintenance
careers among the current ecosystem of talent.
For too long, we've lamented the loss of individuals to
other industries. While those escapes - to use a quality
assurance term - are problematic, they should
be used to recognize the flows among and between
various skill-based careers. Let the best and brightest
from other quality and technical industries come to
aviation with knowledge, experience, and curiosity
firmly entrenched and immediately accessible.
begin or continue a career through any one of the
'pathways' described in this AC. "
36158448 | VITALDRUM | DREAMSTIME
As we celebrate the good works and future opportunities
of this year's " 40 Under 40 " winners, let's not
forget that other industries focused on quality and
technology will want the same talents and skills.
Read their stories. What path brought each to
aviation? How do you use that information to keep
like-minded individuals in aviation? How about to
attract equally talented individuals from other industries?
What will bring this year's winners back if they
choose to try another industry?
These are the best examples of our present and
future. In congratulating them and recognizing their
accomplishment, remember that anyone can walk
their path.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
