Building Equity for Aerospace Training

Aerospace companies in the state of Washington have struggled to meet existing needs for skilled technical workers and this gap between industry needs and qualified candidates is expected to grow. This need is particularly critical in jobs related to air passenger safety. The number of technicians needed to do aircraft inspections, preventative and routine maintenance, and repairs greatly exceeds the number of students who choose an education in avionics and aviation maintenance. At the same time, young women in high school continue to be less likely than young men to choose to enter or to stay in career and technical education classes tied to these careers. This proposal aims to help meet the need for aerospace technicians by broadening participation in aerospace technician education. To achieve this goal, Everett Community College will work with regional aerospace companies, local schools, and a national organization to train teachers and counselors how to equally encourage all students along an aerospace education pathway. A specific emphasis will be on encouraging female students, so that more stay in this pathway. The project will offer an education model that could be used by secondary schools and colleges across the country.

This project intends to improve the capability of educators, career counselors, and academic advisors to encourage students, particularly young women, to enter and persist in aerospace education pathways. To achieve this goal, the project will support a partnership between Everett Community College, aerospace companies (Boeing, Delta Airlines, and Glasair Aviation), middle and high schools (Everett Public School District, Marysville Public School District, and Mukilteo Public School District), and the National Girls Collaborative Project, which is dedicated to advancing best practices for engaging females in STEM-related careers. The project will offer training and summer institutes for educators and counselors, focused on equity-based and culturally-responsive teaching strategies. The relevant technical curriculum will be examined through the lens of equity and inclusion. The training will include teaching and professional development strategies that are known to improve the interest, retention, and achievement of young women. Educator learning communities will be created to support exchange of ideas, curriculum materials, and best practices. Each secondary-school partner will identify a project liaison to engage cohorts of female students in career-connected afterschool activities, courses, and events. Female role models in aerospace careers will participate in after-school activities and support the students' engagement with technical coursework. The project team will also work with industry to provide students with early exposure to typical technician careers, near-peer mentoring experiences, and other identity-building activities. The project will enhance understanding about how to increase the ability of educators and counselors to nurture young women by enhancing their technical confidence to pursue aerospace and related career pathways.