DAVENPORT, IOWA (May 10, 2022) — The Davenport Community School District has announced the first-in the-nation Airframe Mechanic Registered Apprenticeship Program with Elliott Aviation and the Davenport Central High School’s Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) Program. Students in this Registered Apprenticeship will be earning while they learn about aircraft maintenance in a hands-on, real-world environment with Elliott Aviation’s certified employees.
“It’ll be an incredible experience for our students and to be examples for other districts,” DCSD Career and Technical Education Director Alli Vandermyde said.
The first round of apprenticeships is expected to start Summer 2022 with teachers and staff identifying two to three students who would be good fits for the program and inviting them to participate. Students can also complete three courses for high school credit to complement the work in the field.
“The Davenport Community School District has an impressive iJAG program and a lot of talented students in specialized programs to learn career paths,” said Adrienne Wheeler, Vice President of Human Resources at Elliott Aviation. “The aviation industry has so many high-paying, skilled, and technical-career opportunities that the future workforce isn’t currently getting enough exposure to. It just makes sense that our industry begins to take advantage of the Iowa Department of Labor programs to support a future pipeline of talent.”
Vandermyde said DCSD and Elliott Aviation worked with the Iowa Department of Labor and the FAA to make this apprenticeship possible. Students will learn and practice inspecting airplanes for defects, fabricating parts, and assessing electronics, all under the supervision of their mentor.
“We are incredibly excited for the opportunity to partner with local high schools to create a talent pool for our industry through the Iowa Department of Labor registered apprentice program,” Elliott Aviation Greg Sahr said. “Service, Avionics, Interior, and Paint Technicians are all roles that Elliott is filling in 2022 and finding experienced talent is a challenge. In order for our industry and Elliott to sustain our current demand and future growth, we need strategic programs and partnerships in our communities to grow the future work force and the DOL apprentice program is the perfect way to do that.”
Wheeler and Vandermyde said expending the Avionics CTE Program is a future goal, with intentions to add service, interior and paint technician apprentices.
Avionics is the latest industry for DCSD to start a CTE program for. DCSD already offers CTE programs in Accounting and Financial Services, Automotive Technology, Computer Science with Developer and IT pathways, Construction, Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, Early Childhood Education, Engineering and Engineering Technologies, Family and Community Services, Health Sciences, Health Services, Manufacturing, Marketing and Management, and Welding.
The following photos were taken during a Davenport Community School District visit to Elliot Aviation in Davenport, Iowa.
