Jefferson Community and Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance program sees highest enrollment of women ever

Women at Jefferson Community Technical College are breaking down barriers in the aviation industry thanks to the college’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program, as this year the program has seen more female students enroll than any time in the program’s history.

The Aviation Maintenance Technology program is part of the qualification process for students who are working toward becoming certified aircraft mechanics. For senior student Miranda Spurgeon, the program is also helping her build more industry connections.

In an article from WLKY, Spurgeon talked about her dreams, saying, "I want to be a pilot. So outside of this, I actually have my pilot's license through my commercial licenses. This is a way to add on to that resume."

Of the 150 students in the Aviation Maintenance Technology program, 15 are women. The program’s instructor Alex Buckner said that he is pleased with the increasing number in the program, and that he would like even more to sign up in the future.

A recent FAA report showed that while women make up 79% of flight attendant jobs, there is much less representation in other areas of the industry. Women make up only 4.6% of pilots, and only 2.6% of aviation maintenance technician workers.

Spungeon talked about those numbers, saying, "Those numbers are small, I'd love to see it grow larger. The more we make aware that this is something you can do, the more that number grows."

Buckner noted that most of the graduates of the program go on to work in hangars, air fields, and repair stations at local airports. He also said that the average salary of that kind of work is around $60,000 a year.

Spungeon echoed the sentiment about the money, and added that the possibilities in the industry are vast, and she would like to see more women in the industry.

"People are looking for diversity in this industry. So just go for it,” she said.

Jefferson Community and Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program is a two-and-a-half-year program. More information about Jefferson Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.