Chris Moore, president of The Aviation Mechanics Coalition, discussed how safety can be affected by the airline labor shortage and how this shortage presents career opportunities for Vaughn students. With more than 30 years of airline experience as an airframe and powerplant mechanic, Moore’s mission has been to promote the intrinsic value of aviation maintenance to undergraduate students.

A formal introduction was given by President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo and Maria Stanco, deputy regional manager for Eastern Region Federal Aviation Administration before Moore began his presentation.

Moore addressed solution-oriented approaches to the current pilot and mechanic shortages as well as the 2018 Boeing pilot and technician outlook that projects a need for new civil aviation pilots, maintenance technicians and cabin crew to maintain the world fleet over the next 20 years.

A key component was the importance of mentoring between older personnel and incoming hires to help maintain safe maintenance practices in the workplace. Moore also addressed students who were studying in a variety of programs other than maintenance and flight.

“If you’re a really stellar student and have a lot of knowledge, it can bode very well for you,” said Moore. “The need for qualified, educated professionals is continuously growing. The opportunities are virtually endless.”