The aerospace industry has been growing and evolving rapidly on a global scale. Because of this, there is an increase in projected needs for professionals in the aerospace field. Because of the growing need for aviation and aerospace professionals, many aviation personnel roles have gone unfilled.
Congress addressed the projected growing shortage of aviation professionals in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. In a report by the Committee of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education for the National Science and Technology Council (entitled Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education), the White House concluded that the Federal Government has a key role to play in furthering STEM education by working in partnership with stakeholders at all levels, as well as seeking to remove barriers to participation in STEM careers, especially for women and other underrepresented groups.
The report also includes aspirational and educational goals to engage PreK-12 students and calls upon Federal agencies to encourage collaboration in STEM ecosystems that unite a broad range of non-Federal partners. These non-Federal partners include – but are not limited to - schools, families, community colleges and universities, informal educators, non-profit organizations, and museums.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) are two entities that fall under this umbrella. Both organizations develop their own initiatives which allow educators of all kinds – both formal and informal – to encourage young learners to foster an interest in both the aerospace field and aerospace careers.
Both the FAA and AMA aspire to assist in this effort. The FAA and AMA plan to work together in order to provide and disperse educational resources. These combined efforts will also include a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Team Members from McIntosh Aeronautics in the UAS4STEM Sponsored by Skydio competition show off their Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) during the MOU signing at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
On Monday, July 24, 2023, representatives from the FAA and AMA met during the UAS4STEM Sponsored by Skydio Competition at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to solidify this collaboration.
Both organizations will support the other organization's engagement with youth. Both organizations will offer assistance and support to the other by identifying opportunities to use digital resources to jointly celebrate aerospace milestones, develop and distribute collaboratively developed resources on virtual platforms, and maintain consistent communication to ensure these goals are met.
The AMA is looking forward to this collaboration, and we are hoping to reach an even greater audience through this partnership.