Dallas College Aviation Maintenance Technology Graduates Fuel North Texas Aerospace Workforce Pipeline

Media Contact: Contact: C.C. Gonzalez-Kurz ; NewsTeam@DallasCollege.edu

For immediate release — June 18, 2026

 Dallas College Aviation Maintenance Technology Graduates Fuel North Texas Aerospace Workforce Pipeline 

Inaugural cohort completes FAA-aligned training with majority securing employment before graduation  

DALLAS – Dallas College is helping address one of the aviation industry's most pressing workforce shortages as 14 students from its inaugural Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program graduate with industry-recognized credentials and direct pathways into high-demand careers. 

The graduates completed the intensive 13-month, FAA-aligned program and earned General, Airframe and Powerplant certifications required to work as aviation maintenance technicians. At least nine graduates secured employment before crossing the stage at the June 18 commencement ceremony, highlighting the region's urgent need for skilled aviation talent. 

The program was developed in direct response to workforce demand across North Texas, where more than 6,900 aircraft mechanics are currently employed, and the aerospace industry includes more than 900 companies. According to regional labor market data, aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn a median wage of $40.22 per hour, or approximately $80,000 annually. 

"These graduates are entering the workforce at exactly the right time," said Dr. Macario Hernandez, president of the Dallas College Mountain View Campus. "The majority already have jobs, employers are actively hiring and our students are filling critical positions that help keep the aviation industry moving. This is exactly what workforce education is designed to do — connect talent to opportunity and meet the needs of our regional economy." 

The program combines classroom instruction with extensive hands-on training in a state-of-the-art aircraft hangar at Dallas Executive Airport. Students also train in modern learning environments at the Dallas College Workforce Center at RedBird, preparing them for immediate entry into the workforce upon certification. 

“Boeing projects a need for over 700,000 new technicians worldwide in less than 20 years,” said Dr. Jennifer Stimpson, director of education at the National Aviation Education Center (NAEC), to the new graduates. “The field that you are entering right now is not waiting politely; it really needs you right now.” 

Stimpson noted that the program represents a successful model for workforce development through collaboration between education and industry. 

“When Dallas College and NAEC came together that wasn’t just a partnership,” said Dr. Stimpson, “it was an alignment, a model of what works when education, industry and community move together instead of working in silos.”  

Graduate Drew Reynolds, who represented the class during commencement, credited the program's hands-on approach and industry-focused instruction. 

"Once in the hangar, we got real hands-on experience, one-on-one instruction and support from instructors who genuinely cared about our success," Reynolds said. "The training gave us the skills and confidence to begin our careers in aviation maintenance." 

With over 6,900 aircraft mechanics employed in the region, Dallas College’s AMT program is positioned to help meet the growing demand for skilled aviation technicians.  

“These students never gave up, are certified and the majority already have a job,” said Dr. Hernandez. “This shows how valuable the program is. But more than anything else, this is the beginning of something huge and laying the foundation for something great.”  

The second cohort started on May 18 as part of a 24-month program for students taking evening classes. The next 13-month program starts on July 6. Both cohorts are already full. For more information on the AMT program visit DallasCollege.edu/AMT 

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About Dallas College  

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025, Dallas College consists of seven campuses — Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland — plus a dozen centers located throughout Dallas County. As one of the largest community colleges in the U.S., Dallas College offers online and in-person learning, serving more than 127,000 credit, workforce and continuing education students annually. Students benefit from partnerships with local school districts, four-year universities, industry and community leaders. Dallas College offers associate degrees and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as bachelor’s degrees in education, nursing, software development and management. As the largest provider of dual credit in Texas, Dallas College serves 30,000 high school students through 63 dual credit programs.  

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