DOVER, Del. - A retired engine has been donated to the Polytech School of Aviation Maintenance . The new engine provides additional opportunities for Polytech to offer its adult education students hands-on access to the kinds of technology they'll encounter as they train to build a career.
"This is a critical piece of equipment that we were missing," said Jeremy McEntire, assistant director of adult education at Polytech. "Until now, the best we could offer was to tell them about turboprop engines and show them photos online. That is good, but not the same. The engine from Piedmont is a game changer for our students and our program."
The engine, a retired De Havilland Dash-8, was donated by Piedmont Airlines. It will complement the jet turbine engine the school already owns. Polytech and Piedmont are some of the partners working to connect Delawareans to careers in the aviation sector, which currently has a high demand for more workers at high salaries.
"Delaware has a first-class workforce because our schools have a great history of working closely with businesses to anticipate their labor needs," said Delaware Senator Tom Carper. "This new partnership between Polytech's aviation maintenance program and Piedmont Airlines will help ensure our students are learning the skills to make them ready for the job."
Polytech announced its School of Aviation Maintenance in January. The program offers different levels of training ranging from "pre-apprenticeship" to exam preparation. It has helped people in Delaware and around the region stay here for this kind of training as opposed to traveling to other states. Polytech's next class includes seven enrolled students who will prepare for certification exams from the Federal Aviation Administration.