Congress Examining Aviation Workforce Issues Written 21 February 2020

Aviation International News reported that Congress is “keeping a spotlight on” aviation workforce concerns “as the numbers surrounding future employment needs remain daunting.” House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) said, “Challenges in sustaining this workforce are looming, if not already upon us.” DeFazio “noted half of the 330,000 aviation maintenance technicians in the U.S. were between 50 and 70 years old at the end of 2018,” according to FAA data. The Labor Department predicts “that roughly 11,800 maintenance and technician jobs will need to be filled each year over the next decade, but the FAA certified only about 8,600 per year over the last four years.” Lawmakers have also stressed the importance of improving diversity within the workforce. The FAA’s Catherine Land, whose position serves “as a focal point to engage with industry, the academic community, and other government industry to collaborate on workforce issues,” said during a recent House Aviation Subcommittee hearing, “The FAA is committed to partnering with industry, the academic community, and government agencies to remove unnecessary barriers for entry to the aviation workforce, enhance education pathways, and build the pipeline of qualified aviation professionals.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)