NBAA Supports ‘WINGS’ Act to Address Financial Barriers to Aviation Careers
/The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has welcomed a bipartisan House bill that would recognize degrees for pilots, mechanics and air traffic controllers as professional degrees, expanding access to student loans for individuals pursuing aviation careers and helping to grow the industry’s workforce.
The Workforce Innovation for Next-Gen in Skies (WINGS) Act would update federal policy to better reflect the realities of modern aviation education by addressing financial barriers to entry for aspiring aviation professionals.
Introduced by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-03-OH) and co-sponsored by Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-21-NY) and Frederica Wilson (D-24-FL), the legislation has already garnered support from more than a dozen universities, as well as a number of industry stakeholders.
“We thank Reps. Beatty, Stefanik and Wilson for recognizing that financial constraints are among the obstacles confronting those seeking careers in aviation,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “This legislation will help remove those barriers, ensuring talented individuals are able to complete the education and training needed to pursue rewarding vocations in an essential American industry.”
NBAA has been a persistent advocate for strengthening the aviation workforce, including advocacy for solutions to the financial hurdles to education and employment.
The challenge was specifically identified by NBAA in testimony provided for a key hearing on aviation workforce development held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Aviation Subcommittee.
As part of her statement to subcommittee lawmakers, NBAA’s Jo Damato, CAM, senior vice president, events and professional engagement, pointed to the cost of education and training as “one of the greatest barriers to entry” into aviation careers – a conclusion drawn from lessons learned in her service on the Department of Transportation’s Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force. That working group extensively explored challenges confronting those seeking aviation careers, and offered a set of recommendations, including the development of financial support mechanisms like those reflected in the WINGS Act.
NBAA works to provide direct financial support for attracting and retaining professionals to aviation. The association and its volunteer committees annually award nearly $100,000 in scholarships, tuition and reimbursement for students, and the association matches that amount through partnerships offering training for working professionals.
The association also partners with Alpha Eta Rho, the nation’s oldest active collegiate aviation fraternity, to provide mentorship and networking opportunities for students pursuing aviation careers.
