When it comes to determining a career path you must assess what you value the most. What path is going to lead to longevity in a career field as well as a thriving industry with viable employment opportunities? Many may look at the traditional path of a four-year degree or beyond, but for those that learn more effectively in a non-traditional setting or a career-based education model they perhaps feel limited in their options. In addition, utilizing the valuable skill set acquired when serving in the military will lead to further opportunities in the long-term.
Redstone College has two campuses located in the Denver area of Colorado. The school offers programs that deliver results with the end goal being placement in the students’ desired career field and long-term career success. Programs offered include aviation based Airframe and Power plant and Avionics training. In addition, energy programs including Wind Energy and HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) help candidates with strong career outlooks. Redstone has been able to work with many companies across the world to establish a relationship leading to opportunities for their graduates utilizing their skills acquired within their programs of study. These range from 15-18 months in an accelerated format. The organizations that have hired our graduates include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, L3 Communications, SkyWest, Nextera, Duncan Aviation, American Flyers, Echostar.
Currently the state of the industry is in dire need of technicians to work on aircraft, specifically Lockheed Martin and major airlines whose need will double for Aviation technicians stemming from projections of reduced workforces due to the retirement of the baby boomer generation. For example, the current 1,500 technicians needed will double to over 3,000 to satisfy the demand and future workforce shortages. United Airlines is also facing a similar issue as they need technicians that are specifically interested in structural repair/maintenance of aircraft. Due to the high volume of work and shortage of technicians United has been forced to rely upon outside vendors and have been hiring off the street to sustain their maintenance obligations. Also, American Flyers has noticed a significant trend of growth from last year as the airlines are on a hiring frenzy for both mechanics and pilots.
In the energy industries, growth is continuous and Wind Energy companies such as NextEra are building more and more sites to meet power demands. This is creating a large need for wind site managers and technicians. HVAC is an ever growing field that has not seen a downturn leading to high job placement for graduates. MAI Mechanical has been around over 40 years and is now facing the challenge of having a limited pool of candidates resulting in hiring students still completing their degree program.