Job fair held for aviation jobs

There's more hope for Hoosiers looking for work on Saturday. A local aircraft maintenance company are trying to fill 200 positions.

As Steve Townsend waited for his chance to interview for a job in aviation maintenance he's hoping Christmas will come early for him and his family.

"You know, three kids, house mortgage, cars, insurance gotta pay the bills," he said.

Townsend is working part time but is looking not only for a full time job but also a new career, "It's just hard to get a full time position and hard to get a job pretty much anywhere else."

The father of three is just one of hundreds of people who turned out at the AAR job fair near the airport Saturday afternoon.

"Right now we are about 150 technicians short and were looking for people to fill those positions," said Bill Tollison from AAR Corporation.

AAR is an aircraft maintenance company that filled a major void after United pulled out in 2003. The company partners with Vincennes university to train and certify maintenance technician

In the past, AAR has employed many of the former United and ATA mechanics put now they are looking for people who have never worked in the aviation industry.

"The neat thing about it is they can get in the door with AAR get a job then come back to VU as an employee of AAR and get that air frame and power plant certification and move up the ladder if they choose" says Mike Gehrich of Vincennes University.

That's just the sort of opportunity Cornell Hardy is hoping to land. The former motorcycle mechanic has been looking for a job for 2 years. "So I am just trying to find something with a little permanence, something with some staying power something I can actually live and grow with," he said.

AAR hopes this won't be the last time they hold a job fair. As airlines add more aircraft and keep planes in service longer, growth may be inevitable.

"With that, more technicians are needed more maintenance is needed with the more aircraft flying and by doing that it's been very beneficial for us" explained Tollison.

Beneficial for those hoping a new start will come with the new year.

AAR says it hopes to have the positions filled by January. They expect to hire even more people later next year.

       Selman TENGÜZ

   Wednesday, May 18, 2011

       Talip BÖLÜKBAŞI

   Thursday, May 19, 2011