AVOCA, Pa. — Flights come and go from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Luzerne County every day. The people behind getting those planes in working order are in high demand.
"At the end of the year, in North America alone, we are going to be down nearly 18,000 maintenance workers, and it's only going to get worse over the next ten years," said Eric McKitish, director of marketing and air service development at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
Experts say many older mechanics are retiring, and there are not enough people to fill their jobs.
Earlier this year, Johnson College in Scranton announced its new Aviation Technology program, doing what it can to train the next wave of mechanics and techs. Without more people getting into the field, the aviation industry could see some turbulence.
"There's going to be more delays, more cancellations, everybody is going to have to start thinking out of the box," said McKitish.
The students enrolled in the two-year Aviation Technology program will use Hanger Two at the airport as their classroom, led by program director Ryan Stephens.
"We're going to do everything from fabric-covered aircraft to metal aircraft, to composite aircraft, taking engines apart, putting planes back together to take them apart. It's going to be a hands-on experience," said Stephens.
"We like to say that industry is our students' campus, so this is a prime example of that. They get the hands-on skills needed for the industry right here at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport," said Johnson College President and CEO Katie Leonard.
Johnson College has two upcoming open house events for anyone interested in learning more about the Aviation Technology program. Get more info on their website.