Because of the global pandemic, there have been changes happening in all sorts of different industries. And even though the world hopes to one day go back to “normal”, there are going to be lasting impacts from our time battling Covid. One of the biggest impacts Covid has had, has been on our jobs. Many people were required to work from home, or even lost their job completely. But with all these changes, both the temporary and permanent, you may be wondering if now is a good time to switch careers.
Although the aviation industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, it also happens to be one of the most stable industries there is. Because there are so many different types of jobs in the aviation industry, there are job opportunities for people with all different skill sets. It takes a team to keep planes up in the air, and just one part of that team are the aviation maintenance technicians. They are the ones keeping the planes in working order while they are on the ground: a phenomenon that has been much more common during the pandemic.
Why We Still Need AMTs
With countries closing their borders or having restricted access and airlines shutting down, there have been many more planes on the ground than there have been in the air. Although pilots and cabin crew aren’t needed for a grounded plane, aviation maintenance technicians still are. Even if a plane is not flying, it requires maintenance. Planes must be inspected before and after coming out of storage to ensure that they will still work properly when they are needed again.
Even though commercial air travel came to an almost complete stand still during the pandemic, there were still people up in the air. We tend to only think of the commercial aircraft, but there are always going to be private aircraft, medivacs, or those being used for military purposes. All of these aircraft, no matter what they are being used for, need to be taken care of.
Time Is On Your Side
One of the biggest reasons now is still a good time to become an AMT is time. The process of becoming an AMT takes time. If you haven’t already started on your journey to becoming an AMT, then the soonest you can enter the work force is in two years. It will take time for you to graduate from an aviation maintenance technician school and acquire any licenses or certificates. In this time, the world will continue to recover and reopen. Within two years, chances are the pandemic will be over, or at the very least greatly improved. Practices that are just being implemented now by the FAA and CDC will have time to become part of the new norm. In fact, if you are becoming an AMT now, you will be learning these new techniques as you go, without having to unlearn any of the “old” ways of doing things.
Two years may seem like a long time, however most other career paths take much longer from the start of school until you are employed. If you are looking to switch careers, there are many unknown advantages to enrolling in a trade school. Trade jobs, such as aviation maintenance technicians, will always be in demand. The skills that they teach are essential to the continuation of our most valued industries.
Even with the pandemic, the aviation maintenance field is growing, and there are more AMTs retiring than there are graduating from programs. This shortage cannot be solved overnight, and according to a report from Boeing, 769,000 new aviation maintenance technicians will be needed around the world by 2038.
An Ever-Changing World
The world is always changing, even without viruses sweeping the globe. Since humans first took flight over 100 years ago, there have been ups and downs in the aviation industry. However, the aviation industry has been a constant through all of these changes. After the events of 9/11, there were people who swore they would never fly again. Less people were flying and security became increasingly tight at airports. But the aviation industry was able to bounce back, and has even continued to grow.
So bottom line, yes. Even with these “strange” times we are living in, it is still a good time to become an aviation maintenance technician. If you would like to become apart of one of the most stable industries out there, contact NCI today to learn more!
