3 days ago
Aerium Summit looks to bridge workforce gap in aviation industry
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — The 2025 Aerium Summit in Johnstown is bringing aviation and government leaders together to bridge the gap in the aviation workforce.
'PennDOT, FAA personnel, leaders in aerospace and aviation, leaders in education. This actually is a world-class group of people right here in Johnstown,' John Eberhardt, Managing Director of ATA Aviation, said.
The summit is taking place at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport.
Leon Haynes, III, is a Board Member for Aerium and the Founding CEO of Hosanna House. He spoke with WTAJ about the state of workforce development.
'When I think about workforce development, I think about all the areas, whether there's a shortage of pilots or whether it's a shortage of traffic control, maintenance, all of the things that we're saying, what are the things that are going to keep the industry moving. And so people who are aging out of that industry, too, as well,' Haynes said.
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That's where programs like the one the AOPA Foundation has come in. AOPA stands for Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. They give students the tools they need to succeed in the industry.
'Two rural communities, in fact, rural communities, have really embraced this program. We wanted to create it to make sure that there were opportunities for folks who might not otherwise have them. And so we made the program completely free, and that has made it really appealing to schools and smaller districts,' Elizabeth Tennyson, Senior Vice President at AOPA Foundation and Programs, said.
The Summit includes information about new initiatives like the one launching in Cambria County next week.
'We're actually right on schedule. So next week, the week of June 2nd, we're going to be conducting test flights in Westmont and Southmont. So if you see a drone with medical supplies, don't panic. It's us. And then we're going to use that information to finalize any procedures to get the rest of the sensors installed and be up and flying in July and August,' Eberhardt said.
The Aerium Summit ends on Thursday.
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