By Daleen R. Berry

Historically, West Virginia has been known as a state whose residents seek employment outside its borders. In a concerted effort to keep those workers here - within West Virginia, working in the rapidly growing aviation industry - the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MAAC) developed a training program that produced its first graduating class Wednesday night.

"This first class is really first class!" Jim Archer, program manager of Aurora Flight Services told the 26 graduates. "You have exceeded my expectations, all of our expectations."

Through the efforts of MAAC, a non-profit corporation dedicated to marketing and developing Benedum Airport and area aviation firms, Fairmont State College and the West Virginia State Development Office, Aerospace Career Training (ACT) came about one year ago. Students, who range in age and often already have one career under their belt, go through a 180-hour, two-level course. They began by learning basic resume and computer skills, and ended with instruction in welding sheet metal.

"Of all the places I've been, the skill and loyalty of the workers here is ... above everyone else," Troy Jonas, general manager of Bombardier Aerospace said. Jonas, who has worked in various areas of the country, repeatedly praised the graduates' work ethics. He cited his company's loss of "highly skilled mechanics" to out-of-state firms as one good reason for the training program.

"We at the West Virginia Air Center made a fundamental decision that we're not going to recruit outside of the state. We're going to recruit, hire and train local individuals from Harrison (and surrounding) counties. People who are from this area, will stay in this area, and will grow with us." In the past year, 50 new employees have been added just at Bombardier, Jonas added.

Due to a nationwide boom in the aviation industry, firms throughout the country find themselves facing a severe labor shortage. Every position from aircraft mechanic to pilot faces the same dilemma in a problem that industry experts expect to continue through 2005.

"The only limiting factor for aviation in West Virginia is the shortage of labor. That's the only limiting factor. How quickly we bring in workers will determine how fast we grow and how much we grow," Jonas said.

"We've created something ... and it will come. There's going to be growth here in the aviation industry," Archer added.

Since the agency's inception in 1987, Jim Skidmore, MAAC's executive director, said more than 1200 positions have been filled in the local aviation firms that make up MAAC and that sit on land surrounding Benedum Airport. In addition to Aurora and Bombardier, these include FMW Rubber Company, KCI Aviation, Lockheed Martin, and Pratt & Whitney Engine Services. Graduates from this first class will help fill some of the 200-250 vacancies that still exist, Skidmore said.

Five graduates have already been hired in temporary positions, another nine have interviews scheduled, and more should follow, Archer said. As part of the graduation activities, facility tours of KCI Aviation and Bombardier Aerospace were provided. Graduates saw airplanes they may very well end up working on in the near future - those as small as the Cessna 152, used in the general aviation field, and those as large as the regional jets that can carry 50 passengers and which cost $15 million each. About 75 people attended the ceremony at Bombardier, which was followed by a reception.

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