The only constant in life is change. Because transitions are inevitable, the best thing that anyone can do is to be prepared for change when it comes. For active-duty service members, the day will come when it’s time to take off the uniform and transition to civilian life. You’re still serving your country, but you’re doing it in a whole new way. However, the landscape is different from what you’re used to. The rules, requirements and expectations just aren’t the same. If nothing else, the paperwork is different! However, if your military career has included experience with aircraft maintenance, North Central Institute can help you make the transition to a civilian career with confidence. In fact, an education at NCI can also help if you’re just enlisting in the military or looking to rise in the ranks. Read on to find out how.
Transitioning to Civilian Life
Military aviation maintenance technicians, called aircraft maintainers, tend to have a great deal of experience. Moreover, they are used to working well with others, putting in long hours, and functioning well under pressure. All of these characteristics make them valuable employees for any civilian aviation company. However, their experience is sometimes very specific. Additionally, these experienced technicians generally don’t have any civilian certification to prove their skills to an employer. In other words, while many of the skills themselves cross the boundary from military to civilian aviation, the certifications do not.
That’s where schools like NCI come in to fill the gap. Students receive the training they need to attain civilian certifications such as the Airframe & Powerplant certification, which can help them to find jobs in the civilian market for decades to come. In our programs, students learn about more than just aircraft maintenance. If you’ve been stripping down Blackhawks for years, you probably have a lot of that knowledge already. However, our programs also teach you about regulatory compliance, FAA laws, and documentation, all of which is very different from what you’re accustomed to in the armed services. Therefore, an education from NCI effectively bridges the gap between what you already know and what you need to know for a rewarding post-military career. You can keep doing what you love. Better yet, you can keep using the skills you worked hard to earn.
Helping Our Heroes
When you’re ready to make the transition from military to civilian life, the good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. North Central Institute has a special process for evaluating your military experience, as well as any civilian experience you may have, and converting that into credit. Our Credit Inventory Evaluation service essentially creates an updated transcript which includes all of your relevant experience in one place. Because we’ve been evaluating military training and experience for more than 15 years for thousands of veterans and active-duty personnel, we’re able to determine exactly what education each applicant still needs. That way, you’re not wasting time or money on skills that you already have. At the same time, you won’t end up missing any critical skills that you still need.
Schools like NCI aren’t the only ones helping, though. Once your education is complete and you have the certifications that you need, you’ll find that your military background will help you get hired, too. Civilian aviation companies are always ready to welcome veterans into their ranks. This is because they understand the value of disciplined employees who are great team players. For example, according to an article in Army Aviation Magazine, “Boeing claims that military veterans represent around 15% of their total workforce and the company and its employees supported more than 800 military and veteran specific events, programs, and organizations in 2016. In addition, the number of veteran hires since 2011 is now over 7,800 and more than $16.9 million have been raised by Boeing and its employees to support military and veterans’ organizations and efforts.” The same article describes how other companies like JetBlue, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines have all made special accommodations to hire people with military experience. These large aviation companies understand the value of attracting and keeping qualified military veterans in their workforce.
A Lifetime of Opportunity
If you’re leaving the military with aircraft maintenance experience, you’re in a position to find work for a long time to come. Due to a global shortage of aircraft maintenance technicians, which is projected to affect the industry for the next 30 years or more, certified technicians should have no trouble finding work. Whether you prefer to stay in the United States or travel abroad, the demand is there. From small towns to major airports, from rural America to major cities in Asia, Europe or the Middle East, finding a job as an aircraft maintenance technician won’t be a challenge. What’s more, if you have military discipline and experience to add to your portfolio, you’ll be all the more valuable to employers. Lastly, certificates like the Airframe & Powerplant are valid for life. That means the investment you make in your education now will pay you back for as long as you’re in the workforce. Since your certification doesn’t expire and the market shows no signs of slowing down for decades, you’re in the best possible position to be able to keep doing what you love for as long as you choose to do it.
Not Leaving the Military?
Maybe you’re going the other direction, and you’re looking to enlist in the military instead of leaving it. Then again, maybe you’re already active duty, but you’re planning to stay for a while. Can NCI still help? The answer is yes! As mentioned above, your A&P certification is good for life, which means it will still be valuable to you when you do decide to return to civilian life. In addition, the skills you learn at NCI will help you to be better at your job and will make your military training much easier. You won’t be the one struggling to keep up, and your experience will allow you to help the other people in your unit to learn the ropes.
Best of all, however, your civilian certification might help you rise through the ranks. The United States Army, for example, offers 10 promotion points for each qualifying civilian technical certificate, and an A&P certificate is on the list. Combined with the points you can earn from each hour of college education and for earning degrees, these points can give you the boost you need to get promoted sooner. Training at NCI can put you ahead of the curve, even if you have no plans to leave the military any time soon.
We’re Here for You!
Regardless of whether you’re entering the military or making the transition to civilian life, North Central Institute can help you with your next step. Whether you want to rise through the ranks or set up a long and rewarding post-military career, you’ll get maximum return on your investment when you invest in your future here. Contact North Central Institute today to learn more about how we can help.
