Base, high school form maintenance academy

Citizen Airman, June, 2004 by Andrew Biscoe, Tom Ouellette

With 75 unfilled maintenance air reserve technician positions and real-world requirements to meet, the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., is turning to an tmconventional method to fill the void.

The wing joined forces with Chicopee Comprehensive High School to create the Aerospace Maintenance Academy, a pilot program designed to fill ART positions while teaching students valuable aircraft maintenance skills.

ARTs are full-time civil service employees who are also Air Force Reservists. More than 450 ARTs are assigned to the 439th.

"The students at Chicopee Comprehensive High School are eager to learn new skills related to aerospace maintenance and to prove themselves to the ARTs at Westover," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Ronald J. Tyson, a former senior recruiter who spearheaded the academy's creation with Kenneth R. Widelo, Chicopee public schools director of career and technical education. Mr. Tyson is serving an internship in educational administration at the school.

"They (the high school students) are the wave of the future, and we need to tap into that," said Col. Wade Farris, wing commander. "We need to help them get started in their careers."

"It's a win-win for the base and the school system," Mr. Tyson said.

The academy's agenda this year is to have maintenance technicians work with school teachers to develop and finalize courses on aerospace maintenance. By next year, a full-time program should be in place. (Tech. Sgt. Andrew Biscoe and Senior Airman Tom Ouellette, 439th AW public affairs)