The $15,000 gift comes from aerospace company Pratt & Whitney, continuing a string of similar donations the company has been making since 2021.
A $15,000 donation from aerospace company Pratt & Whitney will go toward funding student scholarships at Pierpont Community and Technical College. The scholarships will be available for students taking the Aviation Maintenance Technology program.
In the two-year Aviation Maintenance Technology program, according to its webpage, students will “learn to perform maintenance, remove & replace components, troubleshoot, and repair aircraft systems, while also learning to develop plans to analyze and develop solutions for aircraft problems using approved maintenance materials.” The program prepares students to work as an airframe maintenance mechanic or director or an avionics technician. After completing the program, students are qualified to take the Federal Aviation Administration certification tests.
According to an article on Pierpont Community and Technical College’s website, Nathan Weese, who is both a representative of Pratt & Whitney and a Pierpont Board of Governors board member, was quoted as saying, “The aviation program [at Pierpont] is really important to Pratt & Whitney, especially now as we are adding new programs and expanding the business. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Pierpont in the years to come.”
Since 2021, Pratt & Whitney, an aircraft engine manufacturer, has donated $47,000 to fund student scholarships to help more students train in aviation maintenance technology.
Tracy Miller, who serves as the President of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex, noted how beneficial Pratt & Whitney’s support of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Pierpont Community and Technical College is. Miller is quoted as saying, “When we talk about our billion-dollar annual economic impact, Pierpont’s aviation maintenance technology program is really at the nucleus of it all. Even though West Virginia has done much with the legislature’s support for free community college through the WV Invests Grant Program, there are still many fees and tests, especially with FAA certifications. The support from Pratt & Whitney over the years, and this donation today, are of paramount importance to the success of the students and the impact they will make on the future of aviation.”
For more information about Pierpont Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.