Funding for a new FAA-certified airframe & powerplant (A&P) mechanic program at Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable, Massachusetts, has been restored by the legislature thanks to an effort spearheaded by Cape Cod Community College and the Massachusetts Airport Managers Association and supported by AOPA.
Money to pay for the new A&P program at the college was dropped from the state’s 2015 budget, so AOPA joined representatives from the local aviation industry to support a new program seen as essential for meeting increased business demands using qualified local talent.
AOPA received a request for support from industry partner Massachusetts Airport Managers Association’s (MAMA) Executive Director Dave Dinneen, said Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins. “Aware of the efforts made by CCCC’s administration staff and local leaders to make this training available at the college, AOPA wanted to ensure the legislature understood the importance of this program to the future of the growing aviation industry in Massachusetts. As the industry grows, the demand for qualified workers grows with it and having the means to produce that talent locally provides added stability for associated businesses as they needn’t look elsewhere. “
Without the program, businesses could have decided to base their operations elsewhere due to a lack of a qualified labor force, said Collins. “This would have result in the loss of jobs and revenues that communities are finding increasingly hard to come by,” he said. “AOPA will continue to work with local and regional organizations on efforts that emphasize the betterment of general aviation as a whole.”
