Antelope Valley College’s renowned Aeronautical and Aviation Technology (AERO) Program is flying higher than ever with a newly-opened Fox Field instruction site that includes a 10,000-square-foot hangar, composite lab, computer lab, and state-of-the-art classrooms – the only facility of its kind in the California Community College system.
Fox Field further bolsters the AERO Program’s impact on the regional economy while training area residents for well paying, in-demand jobs. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians in the South Central Coast Region are earning a median salary of $67,644 with steady regional employment projected by the South Central Coast Center of Excellence, which identifies the occupations as top middle-skill jobs in the region.
“I get students who are 18 years old, fresh out of high school, who have no experience whatsoever, but who decide they just want to give it a shot and a few months later, they’re working at one of the largest aerospace companies in the world,” said adjunct instructor Marlene Ruvalcaba.
Ruvalcaba is Exhibit A. She had dropped out of USC as a pre-law student when she saw a local news report on Antelope Valley College’s Aeronautical Sciences & Technology Program and decided to give it a try. Just one semester and four classes later, Ruvalcaba had three job offers and was working full-time as a composite technician at The Spaceship Company while simultaneously staying in school en route to earning an associate degree and continuing on as part of the initial cohort of students in the groundbreaking Airframe Manufacturing Technology Bachelor of Science degree program.
The Aeronautical Sciences & Technology Program includes Aircraft Fabrication & Assembly and Aeronautical & Aviation Technology (Airframe & Powerplant), in addition to the Airframe Manufacturing Technology Bachelor of Science degree that is part of the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Pilot Program.
“Here in the Antelope Valley, we are surrounded by all the aviation giants and for AVC to offer a technical school that provides training that is applicable to the community is truly fantastic,” said Antelope Valley College alumna April Roberts, who graduated from the Aeronautical and Aviation Technology certificate program and now works as a flight inspector at Northrop Grumman in Palmdale.
Antelope Valley College is one of the few community colleges in the country offering composites fabrication and repair through its eight-week curriculum in Aircraft Fabrication and Assembly option. The program allows students to interview with Northrop Grumman and immediately begin earning more than $25 per hour.
Since Antelope Valley College launched its FAA-approved, certificated aerospace programs more than 20 years ago, students have gone on to become supervisors, managers, and directors.
“Our students reflect a broad range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender,” said Dean of Career Technical Education Dr. Maria Clinton. “In recent years, we have seen more women joining the aviation ranks. Some students enroll directly from high school, others come out of homelessness, and some are coming back to school for a change in career.
“It is amazing to see the progress and dynamic, positive effect that these programs can have on a student’s life and future – and during times of financial uncertainty like this, it’s needed more than ever.”
