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JetBlue Airways has expanded its internal aviation maintenance career pathway program to offer opportunities for external candidates to start their careers at the airline.
The airline first launched a Gateway career development program for aviation maintenance technicians (AMT) in 2021, modeled after its successful program for pilots that has been running since 2008. The program allows current JetBlue crewmembers to train for airframe and powerplant (A&P) certification at one of the airline’s partner schools while receiving mentorship and a conditional job offer as an AMT.
The expanded program, called Gateway University–Tech Ops, opens up opportunities for students outside of JetBlue who are already enrolled in A&P programs at its partner schools, which include Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Queens, New York, and Cape Cod Community College in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
“JetBlue’s home in the Northeast sits at the center of our operations and many of our current technicians were trained at these schools,” says David Marcontell, VP of technical operations at JetBlue. He notes that “streamlining the path from early development to a full-time job at a major airline is as much a benefit to us as it is to the many candidates who are often dissuaded by the post-graduate employment uncertainty.”
During the program, participants will be paired with a JetBlue technician mentor and complete required coursework and FAA certifications with guidance from JetBlue’s Gateway team. A representative for JetBlue tells Aviation Week Network that the time for development and A&P certification will vary depending on when individual candidates are accepted into the program and the coursework requirements of the partner school. JetBlue will begin accepting its first applications for the program in the coming weeks and expects to see some participants start roles at the airline as soon as next year.
Once participants meet all of the program’s requirements, they will undergo new-hire training at JetBlue’s Orlando, Florida, support center and transition directly to a maintenance role at JetBlue.
“While new hires are eligible to work at any of our maintenance locations, our initial partnership with schools located near our largest bases in New York and Boston reflects our interest in fostering local talent and supporting the airports and teams many students may already be familiar with,” says a representative for the airline.
JetBlue notes that it plans to expand the program to additional schools in cities where it operates major maintenance bases and technical facilities. While the airline has not shared specifics about which cities might be next on the list, its website notes that maintenance technicians hired through the program could be based in a range of locations, including in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
“Our goal with all our Gateways is to establish a strong talent pipeline while addressing the uncertainties that prevent many interested candidates from pursuing these careers,” a representative for the airline says. “We expect to partner with additional schools in the future and will continue to scale our acceptance rates to reflect projected demand.”
Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for MRO Digest, Inside MRO and Aviation Week Marketplace.
