HVCC To Team Up with Albany International Airport For Mechanic Training

By Nolan Cleary, Editor-In-Chief

Hudson Valley Community College and Albany International Airport have announced a new partnership to develop new programs to train future aircraft mechanics and technicians. The plan was announced earlier this Summer on the official Hudson Valley Community College website. 

“Creating opportunities for well-paid technical careers and supporting the regional aviation industry, Hudson Valley Community College is partnering with Albany International Airport to open a new Aeronautical Technology Institute and create an Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) located at the airport,” the website reads.

The program will feature classes with Hanger 1 at the airport, which will be converted into an educational facility. “With over 4.5 million industry jobs lost during the pandemic, it’s crucial at this post-pandemic moment, that airports, airlines and the entire aviation ecosystem work in hand with our community to ensure a coordinated, swift and sustainable recovery. Toward that effort, this Aviation Institute could not be more timely,” Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy said during an interview with WAMC. 

“And those programs will serve almost on nearly 40 students per semester, right here in this beautiful I think it’s about 12,000 square feet of space, where we’re going to have classrooms, lab work, hands-on training that’s going to occur, creating a strong pipeline for careers in aviation. And we know if you have a healthy supply of skilled aviation technicians, your businesses can grow and you can become more desirable and a more desirable destination. And that’s why we’re so excited to announce this partnership, which will not only serve the needs of the airport and the airlines it serves but also create high paying jobs and ultimately benefit throughout the capital region, our students”. 

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, a former pilot at the airport, told WAMC that mechanic jobs are often essential, but not filled. “Over 50% of the commercial pilots in the country are over 55 years old. That same demographic holds for the mechanics, and down the line. So there’s a huge need for this,” McLaughlin said. 

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy praised the move in an interview with WAMC, saying he hopes the decision by HVCC and Albany International Airport keeps younger people gives younger residents in the community more positive opportunities. 

“To give kids an opportunity. When we have gun violence in the city, and people have disregard for life, and you talk about parks, programs and other programs, these are the type of programs that are going to make a difference in someone’s life in an underserved community, that can come out and make $55,000 a year, right here in their backyard. And if you look at the technical skill in this field, you’re talking about next 16 years, there’s going to be 38,000 new jobs created.” McCoy said. 

“This is a fine example of Hudson Valley Community College seeing an educational need in our community and taking steps to address it,” Ramsammy told the Time Union in an interview. The program was funded by the Student-Faculty Association, a grant from the federal government, a $500,000 donation from the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation.