Kent County Levy Court anticipates that this program will attract military members and veterans from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and D.C. since there are no similar programs in the region. Courtesy Polytech Adult Education.

Kent County Levy Court anticipates that this program will attract military members and veterans from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and D.C. since there are no similar programs in the region. Courtesy Polytech Adult Education.

DOVER, Del. - Polytech is announcing the launch of the School of Aviation Maintenance, a new program through its adult education school. It is designed to give students the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the field of aviation maintenance.

Talk surrounding the program began last year. Kent Economic Partnership Executive Director Linda Parkowski presented the program to the Kent County Levy Court at its March 15 committee meeting. Levy Court Commissioners authorized the leasing of the county-owned Monster Racing Building at 26 Starlifter Ave. in Dover to Polytech Adult Education for one dollar for one year. Polytech will be responsible for all utilities at the building during the duration of the lease, but this will give the program relief as the it begins to take off.

"The demand for skilled aviation maintenance technicians is on the rise," Parkowski said. "We believe that this program will provide the community with a unique and valuable skill set that will set them up for success in their future careers and help grow the local workforce."

The program will offer hands-on training and experiential learning opportunities, giving students a chance to work on real aircrafts and learn from industry professionals. Students will also have the opportunity to earn their FAA certification, making them highly competitive in the job market upon graduation.

Jeremy McEntire, the assistant director of adult education at Polytech, shared with WRDE that the program is broken into three different courses.

One option is a general course or "pre-apprenticeship," which McEntire said is for individuals with no prior experience. This program will begin this summer.

The second is a registered apprenticeship program that will start in the fall. Individuals enrolling in this course are likely already working in the aviation maintenance industry at an entry level. This course will give them the knowledge to work as a professional and get them prepared for upcoming certifications. Students enrolled in this program will participate in five two-week courses over a two-and-a-half-year period.

The third program focuses on certification preparation and is designed to help people who have already met requirements to successfully take and pass FAA exams. This course takes two weeks to complete and begins on Monday, Jan. 23.

Polytech's adult education division is the only provider for apprenticeship training in Kent County. McEntire shared that people in Delaware and around the region have previously had to travel to other states like Tennessee and Florida for this kind of program. He said that the first three courses of the certification preparation program are already full, with many people on active duty and in reserves signing up. The credentials earned through this program can help them earn credentials to work on civilian aircraft, like for commercial airlines, after active duty.

A grant from Today's Reinvestment Around Industry Needs through the Delaware Workforce Development is paying for the first three classes to go through the program. McEntire said Polytech is working with the Department of Labor and other organizations with the hope of getting funding to help cover other courses of the program in the future.

More information on the School of Aviation Maintenance and these programs is available at polytechworks.com.

Digital Content Manager, Draper Media

Zoe is Draper Media's digital content manager. She oversees digital content across the company's TV news stations, lifestyle shows and radio stations. This includes working closely with news directors and their teams to ensure the timely and informative sharing of content, amplifying audience engagement and social media communities, providing continuing development for staff members and keeping our websites, apps and streams up to date and working.

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