Final
Technical Training in the Aviation Industry
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Votes:
Action Taken:
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02:05 PM -- Technical Training in the Aviation Industry, Mr. Les Lindauer, Emily Griffith Aircraft Training Center
Mr. Les Lindauer, Emily Griffith Aircraft Training Center, discussed the aircraft training center at Emily Griffith Opportunity School. He indicated that one reason that the aircraft company Aviation Technology Group decided to locate its manufacturing plant at Front Range Airport was because it was near the aircraft training center. He discussed the low level of funding of the four technical schools in Colorado. Emily Griffith only receives its revenue from the state higher education budget and from tuition. Decreased funding from the state will decrease access to Emily Griffith. He stated that the opportunity school is trying recruit Denver Public Schools graduates. He stated that it is difficult for low-income students to attend Emily Griffith. The aircraft training center program costs $9,000. Currently, there are only 26 people in the program.
Mr. Lindauer explained the curriculum of the aircraft training program. He stated that the aircraft training center is one of few public programs of its kind left in the country. He discussed a foundation established at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School that provides grants to help students pay for tuition. The school has received some scholarship money from Jeppesen and Frontier Airlines. He indicated that the biggest problem that the school encounters is that there is not a conventional student loan program offered to community colleges. He indicated that there is strong demand for the program and strong demand for aircraft jobs in Colorado. He stated that there is more demand for aviation jobs than graduates from schools in Colorado.