BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A program is being developed in Blount County to help fill high-paying aviation mechanic jobs.
The Blount Partnership, Pellissippi State Community College, and employers like Cirrus, Endeavor Air and Standard Aero are working together to open the Aviation Academy in Maryville. The goal is to start classes in September 2025.
According to research from the Blount Partnership, these jobs are lucrative. Most of their salaries range between $63,000 and $115,000 per year, based on the position and experience, the partnership said.
"This school came about because we have a current need for aviation mechanics across our region," said Jessica Belitz, the Blount Partnership Director of Workshop Development. "We also have a lot of interest from aviation companies that are looking to move to the state and looking to move to our region, because there's such a great aviation presence here already. So we see a growing need for these mechanics here in the area."
Belitz said the program takes about two years to complete, and aircraft mechanics can get hired at a starting rate of around $60,000 per year in East Tennessee, with opportunities to grow in their field.
"I think just that the sky is the limit on what you can do in this career," Belitz said. "We have, I think the best of the best aviation companies right here."
Those companies are all-in for this program, and working to get the school off the ground.
"Our business is growing, and in just the last five years we've probably added another 30% to 40% of additional products and shop visits for both engines and auxiliary power units for aircraft," said Greg Krekeler, the Standard Aero Maryville Site Vice President and General Manager.
Krekeler said Standard Aero is looking forward to hiring people who complete the coursework and that the job is fun, and requires tremendous attention to detail.
"Just like any company, we have two challenges with workforce," Krekeler said. "We've got a lot of our outstanding talent in the Baby Boomer generation that's retiring, so there's a need driven there by some of our high talented workforce retiring out. So we are looking to backfill with new talent, so having a school like this provides us with that type of opportunity."
According to data from the Blount Partnership, companies like Cirrus and Endeavor Air both look to hire up to 10 mechanics in the area each year.
"If you look over the next 10 years due to retirements and growth, we're looking at a need of about 745 aviation mechanics across our region," Belitz said.
Pellissippi State Community College is working with the FAA to have the coursework approved for mechanics' certification.
Once they're in the classroom, students can expect a hands-on experience, which is why it was important to find a facility for aviation maintenance classes, according to Patty Weaver, the Pellissippi State Vice President of External Affairs.
"We needed about 16,000 square feet, a lot of this training will be lab time," Weaver said. "They are working on plane engines and wings, so they really need that hands-on lab work. So we needed a large space for that, and the (Blount) Partnership found a space and made that happen."
Weaver said that there's been interest in the program since it was announced, and although there are schools in Tennessee offering the certification, the Aviation Academy will be able to hire people around Blount County for jobs in, and around, Blount County.
She said she encourages high school students, or people looking for a new career, to consider the trades.
"I love to look at education for individuals as a road map," Weaver said. "There are options. You can come and get a certification and go back to work and come back. Your entry points can be different for a lot of people."