Students who receive the associate degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology receive instruction in both airframe and powerplant; by offering these certificates, students who wish to focus on just one of the two concentrations can graduate in 18 months with the appropriate credentials to enter the workforce.

Upon completion of the technical certificate in aviation technology, students will be eligible to take their licensing tests through the Federal Aviation Administration.

The new certificates benefit students in a number of ways, said Michael Clouse, the program chair of Aviation Maintenance Technology. The amount of time it takes to complete a certificate or technical certificate is considerably shorter than completing an associate degree, readying students for the workforce in even less time than a two-year degree.

The programs are designed for anyone from high school graduates to current employees looking to sharpen their skills to those looking for a career change.

“It’s geared to anyone in aviation who wants to get their licensure as quick as possible and get into the job market,” Clouse said.

The aviation manufacturing certificate, now approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, is a grant-funded program through the National Aviation Consortium with a goal of not just graduating students, but helping them land jobs. Ivy Tech Northeast is one of five institutional partners with the consortium. The College is funding the certificate, which is part of Advanced Manufacturing degree program, through the $1.5 million training grant it received in 2012 from the U.S. Department of Labor.