The PIA School for Aviation Maintenance on Youngstown-Kingsville Road in Vienna Township will be hosting a public career exploration event on Saturday, February 25 at 11:00 a.m.

School administration and employers will be available on site to discuss issues trending in aviation maintenance career education such as the anticipation that 38% of the workforce is at or near retirement age according to a recent report from the Aviation Technician Education Council.

Despite a healthy increase in newly-certified aviation maintenance technicians in 2022, this did not offset momentum lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the new technician pipeline at least 20% below the levels needed to meet rising demand across civil aviation.

PIA President and CEO, Suzanne Markle says once students are enrolled, employers are more frequently following students' progress and that it's becoming more and more common for a student to receive employment prior to graduation.