PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - STUDENTS AT the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PILOT, maybe ONE STEP CLOSER TO REACHING THEIR GOAL. THAT'S BECAUSE THE SCHOOL HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW MAJOR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY.
Emotions are soaring high because THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING AND AVIATION SCIENCES IS PARTNERING WITH Alaska AIR GROUP. THEY WILL OFFER FINANCIAL AID TO UNDERGRADUATES, WHO ASPIRE TO BE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS.
Xavier HENRY IS a LECTURER IN THE Aviation Science DEPARTMENT at UMES. HE'S EXCITED about THE NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH Alaska AIR GROUP, CALLING IT A BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS.
"Alaska Airlines has made the commitment to actually support and fund our students here in the Aviation Sciences Program. This is a part of their push to help address the pilot shortage and to some of the challenges that underrepresented communities as it pertains to the Aviation industry as a whole," says Henry.
ALASKA AIR GROUP, WHICH IS BASED in THE STATE OF Washington, IS LAUNCHING A PROGRAM CALLED "TRUE NORTH." IT WILL HELP AVIATION SCIENCE STUDENTS AFFORD THE COST OF COMPLETING ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING AND PILOT RATINGS. THE UNIVERSITY'S DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS SAYS HE'S HAPPY THE COMPANIES REACH OUT.
"We're just very fortunate to have a new corporate partner from the West Coast that reached out to us on the East Coast to identify potential employees for the future they feel will diversify their workforce," says Bill Robinson.
THE department's LECTURER SAYS Alaska AIR GROUP WILL ESTABLISH A FUND TO UNDERWRITE THE COST OF FLIGHT TRAINING FOR TWO UPPERCLASSMEN AS THEY WORK TOWARDS GRADUATION.
UMES' TRUE NORTH BENEFICIARIES WILL WORK FOR THE UNIVERSITY AS FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS AFTER GRADUATION TO BUILD their RESUMES BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE AIRLINES FOR FIVE YEARS.
