Will this new aviation program create jobs in a region reeling from coal’s collapse?

Gov. Matt Bevin and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers flew to four Kentucky airports Monday to promote a new aviation technician program at Eastern Kentucky University that backers hope will spur economic growth in Eastern Kentucky.

Students will get hands-on training at four regional airports in London, Richmond, Chavies in Perry County, and Debord in Martin County, and earn a technician certification that will make them “immediately employable,” Bevin said.

Speaking to local and state officials in Martin County, Rogers said the project will help transition Eastern Kentucky’s workforce and economy following the coal industry’s decline.

The certification will help graduates land jobs with an average annual salary of $61,000, officials hope, and could help make Eastern Kentucky a landing zone for airplane maintenance.

Students will also work in classrooms at Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges in Eastern Kentucky as part of the 18-month long program.

The program has 86 possible slots over the next three years. Enrollment will begin soon, and instruction is set to begin in January 2020.

Bevin also used the announcement to promote his pension relief bill, saying workforce programs like aviation certification are contingent upon the financial health of Kentucky universities.

“It’s our responsibility to step up,” Bevin said.

The governor was expected to call a special legislative session in coming days to consider his proposed pension relief bill for regional universities and many quasi-governmental agencies, but leading Republican lawmakers said Monday the bill does not have enough support to pass.

EKU President Michael Benson said the university’s existing aviation program, which has concentrations in professional flight and aerospace management, has helped 99 percent of graduates find careers in the aviation field.

Officials at regional airports report that their maintenance technicians are usually overbooked, so maintenance work is often referred to airports outside Appalachia, according to an EKU report.

Kentucky’s neighbor states are home to more than 35,000 aircraft. Officials hope the program will allow graduates to find employment at regional airports, or start their own aircraft maintenance businesses in Eastern Kentucky.

‘It’s a wonderful idea,” Rogers said. “It’s visionary, and it will help us.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 9:41 AM.