Choose Aerospace President Shares Impact Of Laureate-Winning High School Program

Why It Matters

By turning high‑school students into qualified aerospace technicians, Choose Aerospace helps close the industry’s talent gap and offers companies a ready pool of skilled labor.

Key Takeaways

• Choose Aerospace wins laureate award for high‑school aviation program.
• President highlights years of flight, maintenance, and teaching experience.
• Program introduces aerospace careers to students unaware of industry options.
• Student from Putnam City High learned 737 tire change, now works full‑time.
• Success story demonstrates high school pathways to aerospace employment.

Summary

Choose Aerospace President accepted a laureate award, celebrating the organization’s high‑school aerospace program and its role in shaping the next generation of aviation talent.

He traced the initiative to his decades of experience in flight operations, aircraft maintenance, and education, emphasizing that many students are unaware that aviation offers viable career paths. The program brings hands‑on training directly into high schools, aiming to demystify the industry.

A highlighted success story involved a sophomore from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma who learned to change a Boeing 737 tire. By her senior year she secured a full‑time position with AAR, illustrating the program’s capacity to translate classroom learning into immediate employment.

The achievement signals a growing pipeline of skilled workers for an industry facing talent shortages, and it underscores the business case for corporate‑backed vocational training that aligns education with employer needs.

Original Description

Ryan Goertzen, president of Choose Aerospace, discusses its award-winning High School Program with Christine Boynton at Aviation Week's 2026 Laureate Awards. The program addresses the aviation maintenance workforce shortage by helping students gain a head start on FAA mechanic certification, impacting thousands of learners since 2020.