First Alaska aircraft mechanic school in 20 years opens in Bethel

photo by Greg Lincoln

by Jeremy Osborne

Through the help and support of its partner organizations, Yuut Elitnaurviat is proud to announce the certification of the Yuut Elitnaurviat Regional Aircraft Maintenance School.
Located in Bethel, Alaska, this is the first FAA-approved Part 147 Aircraft Maintenance School certified in the state since 1995, and one of only 174 in the nation. The school will be offering training for both the Airframe and Powerplant mechanic’s certificates.
According to an article published in the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association dated March 2018 and as quoted by Boeing Aircraft, there will be a shortage of 120,000 aviation mechanics nationally in the next decade.
The community was invited to an open house on October 26, 2018 at the at the Aircraft Maintenance School building located at 3321 N. Apron Road in Bethel. People toured the classrooms and hangar, and viewe the state-of-the-art facility that will be used for instruction.
Yuut Elitnaurviat is planning to begin the first 18-month cohort in February 2019. Interested parties can receive information about the program and the steps necessary to apply by going to http://yuut.org/aviation-maintenance/.
Yuut Elitnaurviat (YE) is a 501(c)(3) Corporation dedicated to providing training and education opportunities for the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region. Yuut Elitnaurviat offers culturally relevant and regionally responsive training programs in response to the suffering regional economy and high unemployment rate. Building programs that combine intensive academics and on-the-job training, Yuut Elitnaurviat is the first regional vocational center to grace the tundra of Western Alaska.
The Board of Directors of Yuut Elitnaurviat is made up of the Executive Directors or CEOs of some of the largest employers in the Y-K Delta. All of the programs and training we offer are done with the approval of, and often in conjunction with, the organizations that make up the Yuut Elitnaurviat board.
Jeremy Osborne is the Director of Programs for Yuut Elitnaurviat – The People’s Learning Center, Inc. in Bethel, AK.