Republic Airways is the newest thing in town — Junior Achievement BizTown, that is. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, Republic Airways and Junior Achievement of Central Indiana hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Republic Airways and LIFT Academy Hangar in BizTown, a work-readiness interactive experience in Indianapolis for 10,000 central Indiana grade school students who pass through its doors each year.
The Republic Airways and LIFT Academy Hangar will provide students with the opportunity to explore careers options within aviation such as pilot, aviation maintenance technician, flight attendant and flight operations, along with other village businesses that include banking, law enforcement, logistics and more. Part of the hangar exercise is a virtual reality flight simulation experience through which students will have the chance to fly a Diamond Aircraft Industries twin-engine aircraft to experience the sensation of flying.
Photo: Matt Koscal (with scissors), Republic Airways senior vice president and chief administrative officer, cuts the opening ribbon for the Republic Airways and LIFT Academy Hangar in BizTown, a work-readiness interactive experience for Indiana grade school students at the Junior Achievement complex in Indianapolis. Koscal was joined at the Oct. 9, 2019, ceremony by Junior Achievement and Republic Airways representatives key in the planning and execution of the career space. BOTTOM: The new Republic-LIFT space features aviation equipment, including a virtual reality flight simulation experience through which students can fly a Diamond Aircraft Industries twin-engine aircraft to experience the sensation of flying. (Photos: Business Wire)
“In order to get our next generation of talent interested in aviation, we need to make them excited about it, and that’s just what BizTown does for children,” said Matt Koscal, Republic Airways senior vice president and chief administrative officer. “These students will now be able to see and do a bit of the airline industry, and hopefully it will spark an interest in them. We’re thrilled to be part of BizTown and contribute to their impact within the schools that participate.”
JA BizTown consists of 12 teacher-led sessions that prepare the students for the BizTown experience. The sessions include critical thinking, financial literacy, STEM skills and career exploration with a goal to connect the dots between what students learn in the classroom and what they experience in the real world.
With more than 600,000 pilots and nearly as many maintenance technicians needed globally over the next two decades, Republic is investing in partnerships that engage grade school and high school students with aviation. In addition to BizTown, last month Republic participated in JA Jobspark, which is a hands-on two-day career expo for students in eighth grade.
Republic Airways opened Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy in September 2018 to train individuals to fly and have a direct career path to Republic Airways, and last month, LIFT Academy began its aviation maintenance technician apprenticeship program. Both programs offer guaranteed jobs to those successful in completing their training.
Both Republic and LIFT engage in various partnerships to promote workforce development within aviation and utilize their LIFT Lab, a mobile virtual reality flight simulation experience, to allow students to understand and enjoy the sensation of flying at various events. Beyond Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, they are engaged with Project Lead the Way on several initiatives and partner with both the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and Scouts BSA on patch and merit badge opportunities.
“It’s exciting to see awareness and interest in aviation grow in Indiana,” said Martin Kirkwood, director of career pathways at Republic. “Through these partnerships and at the schools we have visited, we’re able to show students and parents the high-wage, high-demand career fields that aviation offers and that students can pursue right here at home in Indiana.”
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