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Career Pathways Title: A Regional Pathway to Aviation Triad Sector/Occupation: Aviation Prosperity Zone: Zone 5: Piedmont Triad Certification Recipient: TriadWorks

Guilford County Workforce Development Board - Lead Agency

DavidsonWorks Workforce Development Board

Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board

Regional Partnership Workforce Development Board

Local Point of Contact: Lillian Plummer, Director Guilford County Workforce Development Board

Phone: 336-373-8568 E-Mail: lillian.plummer@greensboro-nc.gov

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 1

TRIADWORKS ........................................................................................................................ 1

BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 1

PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................. 2

Regional Kickoff Event ...................................................................................................... 2

All Hands on Deck ............................................................................................................. 4

CRITERIA ADDRESSED ............................................................................................................ 4

CRITERION 1: DATA AND DEMAND DRIVEN ...................................................................... 4

CRITERION 2: EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT ....................................................................... 10

CRITERION 3: COLLABORATION ...................................................................................... 10

CRITERION 4: CAREER AWARENESS............................................................................... 11

CRITERION 5: ARTICULATION AND COORDINATION ...................................................... 14

CRITERION 6: WORK-BASED LEARNING ......................................................................... 14

CRITERION 7: MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY AND EXIT ................................................. 15

CRITERION 8: EVALUATION .............................................................................................. 18

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OVERVIEW

TriadWorks received certification for A Regional Career Pathway in Aviation in August of 2017.

The kickoff meeting at the Career Pathways Conference in September 2015 in Greensboro

brought together many of the partners. A subsequent meeting was held to identify all

stakeholders, acquire LEAD data to determine most in-demand occupations, and create a list of

deliverables for future committee work. Additional meetings led by employers were held,

juxtaposed to data collection and analysis. This document provides a summary of the Pathway.

TRIADWORKS

TriadWorks is a consortium of four Workforce Development Boards in the North Carolina

Piedmont Triad who are committed to identifying and implementing regional solutions to support

a globally competitive, highly skilled, forward-looking workforce. The member Workforce

Development Boards (WDBs) are: Regional Partnership WDB, Northwest Piedmont WDB,

DavidsonWorks, and Guilford County WDB (Lead Agency for the Aviation Pathway). It serves

14 counties in the west-central part of the state: Alamance, Caswell, Davie, Davidson, Forsyth,

Guilford, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin.

TriadWorks has created the following four Certified Career Pathways in the Piedmont Triad

Region.

Pathway Lead Agency Certification

Date

Advanced Manufacturing Regional Partnership Workforce

Development Board

August, 2017

Aviation Guilford County Workforce Development

Board

August, 2017

Healthcare (Nursing) Northwest Piedmont Workforce

Development Board

October, 2016

Transportation and Logistics DavidsonWorks November, 2017

BACKGROUND

Aviation has grown to be a prominent industry in the Piedmont Triad. Aviation jobs have a wide

range of education requirements from certificates and industry-recognized credentials, to two-

year associate’s degrees, to bachelor’s degrees and even Master’s degrees. Increased skill

levels also offer the worker opportunities to explore new or evolved jobs along the pathway.

Conversely, it is imperative to address skills gaps that exist in the industry in order to develop

the workforce to meet employer needs.

The pathway outlined in this document—with its many on and off ramps—creates a pipeline of

dislocated workers, the underemployed, veterans, and students who are ready for work in

aviation.

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PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT

After an initial meeting with Local Area Board staff, community partners, pathways facilitators,

and the TriadWorks project manager, Guilford County Workforce Development Board Director

Lillian Plummer organized the following four committees to develop the Aviation pathway, which

were based on the eight criteria developed by the Commission:

1. Employer Engagement and Partner Identification & Collaboration

Committee Charge: Recruit and engage the business community to lead the development and

implementation of the pathway by providing input into curriculum design, work-based learning

opportunities, and other commitments of support. Develop partnerships with all levels of

secondary and postsecondary education, the workforce community, local government officials,

and community leaders to ensure buy-in. Effective teams will be those that collaborate to

provide students a consistent message of commitment to the industry from all stakeholders.

2. Articulation & Coordination and Multiple Points of Entry/Exit

Committee Charge: Provide opportunities for students to obtain knowledge, skills and

certifications efficiently. Maximize use of articulation agreements to encourage coordination of

educational offerings. Encourage obtainment of stackable credentials to reduce duplication.

Foster a streamlined progression along the career pathway by developing on and off ramps.

Connect all local area programs (LEA to Community College pathways to the Prosperity Zone

work).

3. Career Awareness and Work-Based Learning

Committee Charge: Determine the types of work-based learning that should occur across the

region and determine the correct placement for those activities within the pathway for pathway

participants in middle school, high school, college, adult job seekers and veterans. Develop a

regional approach to make students aware of career pathways, educational requirements and

work-based learning opportunities. Develop training opportunities and professional development

for each level on career advising for the prosperity zone to ensure a consistent message and

awareness of career opportunities along pathways. Create a marketing plan for Apprenticeship

and other work-based learning programs.

4. Data to Demonstrate Demand, and Evaluation Measures

Committee Charge: Support pathway development with data that supports the demand of the

industry cluster. Develop a plan for assessment that defines success, measures progress

toward goals, investigates outcomes and points to opportunities for improvement. (Note: This

committee was subsequently merged with the Employer Engagement committee.) Pathway

meetings held in 2017 brought together representatives from all stakeholder groups and

recruited them into the four committees.

Regional Kickoff Event

On February 23, 2017, a regional kickoff event was held at AVS Catering in Asheboro for all

stakeholders involved in developing the remaining three pathways for TriadWorks: Aviation,

Transportation and Logistics, and Advanced Manufacturing (the Nursing pathway was already

certified). Nearly 100 stakeholders from 14 counties in the TriadWorks region attended the four

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hour meeting which launched the pathway development process for each Local Board Area.

They represented employers within the three industry clusters, community colleges, universities,

workforce boards, K-12 public schools, Chambers of Commerce, economic developers, and

other partners. Each local area had ten minutes to present the data that proved demand for the

pathway, a snapshot of the jobs within each cluster that would be addressed in the pathway,

and the ultimate ASK of the stakeholders present: commit your time and energy into building a

pathway that will create a pipeline of workers now and in the future.

Lunch in cluster seating provided opportunities for networking and for building a shared

understanding of where each stakeholder fits in the development of the pathway. Getting to

know each other on a personal level over lunch formed the foundation for the committee work to

come. In afternoon breakout sections led by Workforce Board staff and the NC Works Pathways

Facilitator, employers shared their challenges and the occupations that are most difficult to fill.

They listed skills needs and skills gaps, including soft skills. A short survey focused the group

and encouraged discussion:

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The Pathway leads drilled deeper into the process of building the pathway, discussed the

commitment of time and resources that would be needed, and identified the best persons to

represent their organizations on the different committees. A follow on Q&A provided

opportunities for employers to articulate what training is needed and the colleges and other

partners to discuss training solutions. A better understanding of how best the separate entities

could work collaboratively was achieved. Finally, Committee Chairs were identified and a

schedule of meeting dates, times and locations was shared.

The Aviation pathway breakout session had participants representing 6 employers, 3

Community colleges, 6 school systems, 2 economic developers, 2 reps from Voc-Rehab, 2 reps

from our local Chamber of Commerce and NCWorks Career Centers.

All Hands on Deck

From February to May 2017, the Guilford County Workforce Development Board convened all

stakeholders in their respective committees to develop the Aviation pathway. Additionally, there

were several meetings with employers—individual and collectively to ascertain their needs and

develop/maintain continued partnerships. Finally, educational institutions were sought for their

expertise and provided valuable input within committees and as consultants.

CRITERIA ADDRESSED

CRITERION 1: DATA AND DEMAND DRIVEN

Aviation continues to be one of the fastest growing fields for jobs in the Triad Region. It has one

of the widest ranges of education requirements from certificates, to two-year programs, to up to

ten years of college. This pathway creates a pipeline of training and employment opportunities.

It encompasses many job sectors that require different training for each. There are hundreds of

occupations and jobs as well as changes in employment in the region. Aircraft alone has a

projection of 1,624 jobs that needed to be filled; by 2025 that number will grow to 4,444. The

aviation industry has a 37% job growth potential. Figure 1 shows the employment statistics for

the next decade within Aviation in the Piedmont Triad region.

The Aviation location quotient is shown in Figure 2. In three of four subsets distribution by

industry base is 1.0% higher than the national baseline. A ten year forecast shows 22%

mechanics and technicians, 218% assemblers, 100% engineers. There will also be a need for

pilots.

The Aviation Pathway will lead to high demand and high wage jobs. As shown in Figure 3, the

expected growth in aviation jobs continues at least for the next decade. These jobs will continue

to yield high wages. Figure 4 shows the median hourly earnings for jobs in aviation. Figure 5

lists the highest paid aviation jobs within the region.

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Figure 1. Employment Statistics from 2015-2025 in Aviation in the Piedmont Triad

Figure 2. Aviation Location Quotient

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Figure 3. Projected Job Change in Aviation—2015-2015

Figure 4. Average Hourly Earnings within Aviation Industry

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Figure 5. Wage Data for 5 Highest Paid Jobs in the Region

According to NC Commerce Star Jobs, sheet metal workers, commercial pilots, avionics

technicians, aircraft mechanics and service technicians, and aerospace engineers have three,

four, and five stars for entry, median, and experienced jobs. See Figures 6 through 10 below.

Figure 6. Star Jobs report for Sheet Metal Workers.

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Figure 7. Star Jobs report for Commercial Pilots.

Figure 8. Star Jobs report for Avionics Technicians.

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Figure 9. Star Jobs report for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.

Figure 10. Star Jobs report for Aviation Engineers.

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CRITERION 2: EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT

In an effective Career Pathway, Industry champions are key in collaborating, supporting and

promoting a system of interrelated training and employment opportunities for students,

dislocated workers, and Veterans. Their input was essential in the implementation and

sustainability of the Aviation career pathway. We looked to our employers as partners versus

just customers and looked to strategize in building a relationship to meet their needs as well as

sharing benefits by committing to the career pathway.

Some of the highlights from this Partnerships were the following:

Article in the Triad Business Journal

Commitments from over 10 employers to provide Work Based Learning opportunities for

Students, Dislocated workers, and Veterans

Stronger collaboration with our local Chamber of Commerce, Economic Developers, and

Educational Providers to create a feeder system to meet employer needs

Stronger communication between employers so in the event of a layoff, aviation employers

are able to swiftly offer employer opportunities to impacted workers

Employers were engaged throughout the application process and continue to be engaged in the

continued development and implementation of the Pathway. Pathway partners attended

meetings and conventions with the aim of collaborating. Employers share their current and

future workforce needs with other pathway partners, as well as soft skills requirements so that

these needs and requirements can be met. Additionally, partners were introduced to NCWorks

Online so that the NCWorks Career Centers can be better utilized to meet their needs.

Employers who are a part in the Aviation Pathway are:

GE Aviation

Delta Airlines (Maintenance and Avionics)

GE Aviation (Maintenance and Mfg.)

HAECO (Maintenance/MRO)

Honda Jet (Engineering, Mfg.)

Signature Technicair (Maintenance and Avionics)

Textron Aviation

Genesis Aviation

These employers offer varying types of partnerships, from consultant, to work-based learning, to

temporary and permanent hiring.

CRITERION 3: COLLABORATION

The Aviation Pathway is a collaborative project driven by employer engagement and the

common goals of educational partners, workforce boards, Chambers of Commerce, economic

developers and others to promote Aviation careers. Together, we set forth a pathway that will

develop a pipeline of work-ready individuals to take aviation in the Piedmont Triad to the next

level. Every committee had a representative from each stakeholder group, which included ten

employers. As well, stakeholders came together in meetings outside the career pathways

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committees, such as through the PRWA (Piedmont Regional Workforce Alliance), the Business

of Aviation Summit, the GTCC Advisory Committee, and the NC Aerospace and Advance

Manufacturers Suppliers Convention.

Representatives of the following organizations attended meetings and contributed to the

development of the pathway:

LEAs: Guilford County Schools, Orange County Schools, Davidson County Schools,

Winston-Salem/ Forsyth Co. Schools, Randolph County Schools

Community Colleges: Guilford Tech Community College (GTCC), Forsyth Tech

Community College (FT), Piedmont Community College, Randolph Community College,

Rockingham Community College, Sandhills Community College.

Businesses: HAECO, Honda Jet, Piedmont Industry, TruAtlantic Manufacturing,

Aerospace Aviation Services, Graco Supply, Tehnicair, Textron Aviation, Genesis

Aviation, Aerosphere Aviation Services

Other Partners: NC A & T State University, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, High

Point Economic Development, Economic Corporation, Piedmont Triad Partnership,

United Way

CRITERION 4: CAREER AWARENESS

The discussions that occurred in Career Awareness Subcommittee meetings, proved that an

overall branding needed to be established to ensure that students, dislocated workers and

Veterans can achieve the long-term goal of having a fulfilling career in Aviation by following the

necessary steps. We championed the theme: “Aviation Career Seekers: Living for the Long-

Term, Gateway to Success!” Some of the highlights of this plan are:

Specific focus at the Middle School, High School, Community College and NC Works Career

Center (dislocated workers and Veterans Affairs)

Employer engagement at each level with age appropriate guidelines to initiate discussions

and share on skills needed to achieve career goals

Increased Parent involvement at the Middle School and High School level by hosting

curriculum nights

Through the commitments established with the Employer engagement subcommittee,

employers would be informed of the overall plan for career awareness and can already

confirm participation

Pre Assessments and Career Inventories would be established at the Middle School level to

ignite Aviation interest

Incorporate Aviation Career Awareness marketing materials into local Layoff Aversion

Packets, specifically for employers within the Manufacturing/ Aviation and Transportation

Industry since the skills are similar and easily transferable

Hosting skills competitions at the High School and Community College level

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Outlined below is the plan for joint professional development to ensure the Aviation pathway

remains dynamic and the implementation is comprehensive and coordinated.

Implementation Planning Retreat: include CTE Directors, Rep from Community College and 4

year institution, Business Engagement Managers

Purpose: to identify which industries to invite, setting agendas for each meeting, review current

LMI, framework of data collection (collected from the Data, Demand and Evaluation

Subcommittee). There will be quarterly meetings. Additional information will be disseminated

via the website and a digital newsletter sent to all partners in-between meetings.

Middle School/ High School: Career Counselors meet quarterly with a rep from Industry

(industry champion changes) share information on Career Pathway demands, expected future

growth with career pathways, soft skills for prospective employees, work based learning

opportunities and current practices.

Post- Secondary Schools: Representatives from Community colleges and 4 year institutions

will convene with an industry champion quarterly to discuss Career Pathway demands,

expected future growth with career pathways, soft skills for prospective employees, current

practices, curriculum needs, customized training needs, and Work Based Learning

opportunities.

Career Center and Workforce Board Staff: Business Engagement Staff will convene meetings

quarterly with an Industry Champion to highlight employment opportunities, training needs,

expected future growth, funding opportunities, Partnership Recognition. Additional meetings

would focus on effective collaboration with local Chamber of Commerce and Economic

Developers.

The following Aviation Exploratory pathway options that reflect career exploration for the

Elementary/Middle School level, high school learner, Adult learner and Continuing Education for

Non Licensed Positions and academic foci.

Promotional Materials

These promotional materials and activities have been identified to assist in creating awareness

for the Pathway. The final budget will determine the extent to which each can be used.

Brochure – Brochures will be created/adapted from existing brochures to explain the Pathway.

Included will be details regarding employment opportunities, educational requirements, salary

potential, work-based learning opportunities and contact information to learn more about the

Pathway. Brochures will need to be differentiated in order to target high school students.

Brochures will be available in both digital and hard copy form so they can be posted to web sites

and handed out.

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Signage – Signs will be created to get the attention of potential students and provide details on

how they can learn more about the Pathway. As with the brochure, signs will be created to

target the high school population.

Website/Social Media – A Facebook and Twitter page will be created to explain the Pathway

that can be linked to high school career development and counseling pages across the region. It

will provide information about the Pathway and contact information to learn more. Videos could

also be posted on the Facebook account. A website will be created with more in depth detail

and information about the Pathway. Website information will include employment opportunities,

educational requirements, salary potential, work based learning opportunities and contact

information to learn more about the Pathway.

Video – A video will be created to explain the Pathway in more detail than can be included in the

electronic brochure and signs. This will provide the opportunities to show manufacturing in

action at various work sites and classrooms. It will also provide necessary information for

students and displaced workers to pursue this career. The video can also be used for training

purposes in the implementation stage of the Pathway. It may be possible to work through a high

school or post-secondary video production program to help control cost.

Training - Middle/High School – The Career Development Coordinators (CDC) will be

responsible for training at the middle and high school level. Those to be included in the training

will be Guidance Counselors, Shop teachers, Career Management teachers, and anyone

involved in work based learning activities such as internships. The training will consist of an

explanation of the Pathway, the opportunities it represents for students interested in the field,

the promotional materials available to market the Pathway, and suggestions on how to

implement.

Work-Based Learning – Work-Based Learning opportunities will be a valuable resource for

students to explore, learn and confirm of this is a viable career option. There are different levels

of Work Based Learning opportunities depending on the need of the individual.

Job Shadow – This is a short term work-based learning opportunity for the individual to gain

exposure to Aviation careers. It is typically a one day experience and will be best suited early

high school. Middle school students in the region will participate in the established middle

school program, Student@Work, which is a state initiative.

Internship – This is a longer-term work based learning opportunity for those interested in a more

detailed understanding of aviation careers. This will be best suited for high school seniors who

are participating in CTE aviation programs.

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CRITERION 5: ARTICULATION AND COORDINATION

The credentials available with the Aviation pathway are:

Solid Works Certificate

Airframe and Powerplant License

Associate’s Degree

Bachelor of Science Degree

Master’s Degree

PhD.

The Aviation Academy is an Aviation Early College Program that prepares advanced students

for the aerospace and engineering fields through a hands-on, project based, inquiry-driven

process.

Andrews Aviation Academy offers four tracks: Engineering, Aviation Management/Pilot,

Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic/Technician, and Avionics technician.

Students can earn credit toward their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry

certifications/licenses and graduate high school with up to two semesters completed at

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). Tuition and books are free.

College credits earned can transfer to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or to most other

colleges and universities, such as NC State, NC A&T or UNC, if a bachelor degree is

desired.

Job Shadowing and paid summer internships for workforce experience in the aviation field.

SolidWorks 3-D mechanical engineering class with certification test.

Everybody learns to fly. Class set of Hotseat Flight Simulators for the ultimate experience.

Aviation Manufacturing class that will prepare a student to enter the workforce with little

additional training. School-to-work program.

Flight simulator to log airplane instruction in students’ own pilot logbooks.

Young Aviation Club, Civil Air Patrol, Rocketry Club and Robotics.

There is a coordinated, non-duplicative course progression articulated between GTCC and NC

A&T State University. This agreement allows students that have received an Associate’s

degree from GTCC in Engineering, however have expressed an interest in studying Mechanical

or Civil Engineering at NC A&T State University. They are eligible to transfer from GTCC to NC

A&T, receive full credit for the courses listed upon acceptance, and have a Junior standing.

CRITERION 6: WORK-BASED LEARNING

Work-Based Learning is an integral part of the Aviation Career Pathways. The Work-Based

Learning experiences that are emphasized throughout the pathways are shown in Table 1.

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Table 1. Work-Based Learning Experiences in the Aviation Pathway

Experience Middle

School

9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

through

Adult

Co-Teaching X

Guest Speakers X

Career Fairs X

Job Shadows X

Career Focused

Field Trips

X

Service

Learning

Projects

X

WBL Projects X

Career Based

Graduation

Projects

X

Capstone Class

Projects

X

Internships X

Work Study X

Apprenticeships X

Table 1 provides a continuum of work-based learning opportunities in the Piedmont Triad

Region. While these work-based learning opportunities exist, we are working to:

1. Develop a more consistent mechanism for calculating the number of work-based

learning experiences within the region;

2. Expand the offerings within partnering companies, so that they better include all

populations the pathway serves; and

3. Increase the number of partnering companies that offer work-based learning.

There are ongoing efforts to expand and provide greater structure to work-based learning in the

region

CRITERION 7: MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY AND EXIT

The following are the three regional pathways we developed to build the Aviation pipeline of

workers that will sustain the industry and its bright future.

1. Pilot Pathway

2. Aeronautical Engineering Pathway

3. Aviation Maintenance Pathway

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In addition to the Career Pathways, we developed a flowchart that outlines the educational path

with entry and exit points for all three career pathways.

Education Pathway – All Aviation Pathways

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Older individuals cannot enter middle or high school, so they would need to get a GED and

enter a college course. An articulation agreement exists between area colleges and high

schools that allows credit to be given for prior learning so that duplication is avoided.

Credit for non-degree training is based at a state level and authorized at a department level to

provide credit. If the state identifies the continuing education (noncredit) as a pathway to credit,

then the colleges have the ability to give credit toward a degree. This applies to maintenance

and the pilot program as long as the noncredit class is compatible or the same as the credit

class. This is on a state level only. When credit is applied, this will not give FAA credit for the

same class. The noncredit class will only provide college credit. FAA credit must be with the

FAA class or the requirements outline in the FARs (federal aviation regulation).

A veteran who works more than 18 months in a field can apply for credit with the FAA towards a

license; 36 months if both license are desired. The vet would be issued an 8610 and they can

test for their Airframe and Powerplant. They can then take the A&P to the college and apply it

toward an associate’s degree. Flight time with a flight instructor is required for vets to be signed

off and then hours are petitioned or waved. Many companies will assist with this then allow

military pilots to get their license and go straight to work.

State-Level Initiatives Currently Under Discussion

Credit for military experience (Susan Barbitta at State level is working on this)

Competency-based education

Curriculum credit for continuing education courses and/or industry-recognized certifications

CRITERION 8: EVALUATION

Establishing baselines is the first step in setting benchmarks for the Pathway. Following that are

the Evaluation measures by which the Career Pathways Committee will determine the success

of the Aviation Pathway. Baseline data for these measures (where applicable) are being

gathered. Annual reviews of the measures will be conducted and goals for improvement will be

determined

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TriadWorks Metrics

It was agreed that the metrics for the Region should be the same for all four pathways. The

regional metrics are as follows:

Regional Pathway Metrics

June 27, 2016

MEASURE 1: Demand Driven and Data Informed

1) Baseline data is consistent with labor market need.

2) New labor market resources are used to validate Pathway.

MEASURE 2: Employer Engagement

1) The number of employers providing aviation-related work-based learning opportunities

2) The number of students provided a aviation-related work-based learning opportunity

MEASURE 3: Career Awareness

1) Convene annually to educate career/guidance counselors and human resources professionals on the career

Pathway.

2) Develop training tool for new hires to educate them on the career Pathway.

3) Update the training tool annually.

MEASURE 4: Enrollment (PY 2018 and 2019)

1) The number of youth who complete the high school requirements to be recognized as a Aviation Pathway

concentrator

2) The number of youth who achieve aviation-related industry credentials

3) The number of youth who obtain employment in an aviation field

4) The number of adult and dislocated workers enrolled in an aviation Pathway at a training provider

5) The number of adult and dislocated workers who earn an aviation credential

6) The number of adult and dislocated workers employed in the aviation field

MEASURE 5: Evaluation

1) At the 12-month mark, assess the data and prepare reports.

2) Hold focus groups to evaluate the success of the Pathway.

3) Hold an annual meeting of committee members to present collected data and the results of the focus groups.

4) Re-assess Pathway and revise strategies as needed, based on report results.