New River CTC receives grant for Aircraft Maintenance Technician School

[BEAVER, W.Va.] The West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College System has approved a $432,000 grant for New River Community and Technical College for the development of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified Aircraft Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) with an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) rating.

“We appreciate the assistance from the Council and our community partners in this endeavor,” said College President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver. “Our new program will support manufacturing and innovation initiatives by working with the Raleigh County Memorial Airport and the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.”

The college will use the grant funds to hire a program director and to purchase specialized equipment needed for the program.

Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics are certified general mechanics who can independently perform many maintenance tasks on planes. They repair and maintain most parts of an aircraft, including the engines, landing gear, brakes, and air-conditioning system. The college plans to start accepting students as early as January 2023.

For students interested in continuing their education, New River CTC is working with West Virginia University Tech to provide a pathway allowing students to build on their training and earn a bachelor’s degree in aviation management.

Both the Raleigh County Memorial Airport and the Greenbrier Valley Regional Airport are classified as AEROReady™ regions, indicating that the infrastructure is in place to build this sector of the economy.

The college has created a quarterly newsletter to share announcements related to program development. Those interested in the program or signing up for the newsletter can email [email protected].

For information about other programs at New River CTC, visit www.newriver.edu, email [email protected] or call 866-349-3739.

New River Community and Technical College serves nine counties in southeastern West Virginia from the Greenbrier Valley Campus (Lewisburg), Mercer County Campus (Princeton), Nicholas County Campus (Summersville) and Raleigh County Campus (Beaver).