Grow Your Own Mechanic opens door to opportunity

Volume 38

Number 2

Spring 2007

Grow Your Own Mechanic opens door to opportunity

By Virginia Thomas
Southern Technology Center

As a member of the A-TEAM, Lourdes Herrera said she enjoys a good working environment and the people with whom she works.
In 1997, the Altus Air Force Base wing commander and his leadership team visited Southwest Technology Center at the invitation of the superintendent Dr. John Martin. At that meeting base personnel and school personnel shared needs and ways that each could be of service to the other.

It was during that sharing period that members of the base A-TEAM, a civilian maintenance group responsible for the total maintenance of the base aircraft, asked if it would be possible for aircraft mechanics to be trained at SWTC. When they received an affirmative answer from the SWTC leadership, work began to build a new program that would provide a recruiting source for the base along with training and long-term employment opportunities for area residents.

For one year Mike Bradley, Director of Maintenance at the base; T.O. Hilley, Deputy Director of Maintenance; and Sam Kinnamon, A-TEAM supervisor of instruction, met with B.F. Rowland, SWTC campus director, twice a month to develop a curriculum that would meet Federal Aviation Administration standards. Along with this curriculum input, the base has also provided training aids.

The partnership between the base and the school with regard to the aviation and aerospace technology program and the hiring practices of the program graduates at the base has come to be known as the Grow Your Own Mechanic Program.

Lourdes Herrera

Today, 78 of the Southwest Technology Center aviation and aerospace technology program graduates currently work at Altus Air Force Base as aircraft maintenance technicians, according to Kinnamon.

The SWTC training program is open to high school students and adults. High school students attend half-time during their junior and senior years while adults attend full time and complete in a year.

Since 1998, 86 GYOMs have been employed at the base, and of that number, only two have been released from duty. Of those currently employed, 70 are male and eight are female.

The partnership between AAFB and SWTC has been recognized with a number of awards including the Oklahoma Department of Career Technology Education Business Champion Award, the Air Force Best Practice Award, the Hammer Award for Partnership in Re-inventing Government, the Oklahoma Partners in Progress Award, and the ODCTE Distinguished Service Award.

The partnership has also been used as a model for the Tinker Air Force Base and Metro Area Career Tech Training Agreement.
Kinnamon said the base counts on students’ learning the basics in the aviation and aerospace course at SWTC. He said, “We do not have time to teach fundamentals. Once individuals have the fundamentals, we can build on it.” He went on to say that the program has been beneficial for the base in that motivated and mature individuals have been available to fill employment needs.

For the individuals, the program opens doors to the opportunity for financial security and advancement, according to most of the GYOMs who are currently working at the base.

At the base new hires are required to go through a 640-hour apprentice period when their pay grade is WG2 with a wage of $11.00 an hour. However, once they complete the training and receive FFA certification, their pay grade goes to WG5 and their wage is approximately $14.50 an hour.

At the end of one year, they are promoted to WG8 with a wage of approximately $18.50 an hour. In two or three more years, they can expect to advance to WG10 with a wage of $20.00 an hour. If they continue to work at the base and advance, individuals can hope to earn $26.00 an hour with the possibility of advancing to supervisory roles.

The leadership at the base and SWTC has changed since 1997. The wing commander has changed several times. Bradley retired and has been replaced by Hilley.

However, the commitment to the Grow Your Own program has remained steadfast, according to Dr. June Knight, SWTC superintendent. She said, “The partnership with the A-TEAM provides an avenue by which career minded individuals can take advantage of challenging career opportunities in their home area. At SWTC we appreciate the fact that Altus Air Force Base plays such an integral part in what makes the work at Southwest Technology Center exciting. . .assisting in growing a strong economic base in which young people can look forward to a future.”

Several former students who work with the A-TEAM expressed their appreciation for the opportunities the program has afforded them. Mary Langdon, a 2006 SWTC graduate, who works in the sheet metal division said she would recommend the aviation and aerospace technology training and the opportunities it offers to anyone. “This a great job,” she said. “I am getting to do lots of hands-on, and I really enjoy the people.”

Prior to attending SWTC, Langdon was a driver for a postal service and did not see much room for advancement.

A member of the second class to complete the SWTC training, Kevin Lile said that he has fulfilled his lifelong ambition of working with airplanes. He said, “Along with getting to work in the aircraft field, I have also gained financial security.” He added that while he has no plans of moving from the area, if he ever does, his training and experience will assure him of employment opportunities in many areas worldwide.

“Most people who work at the base are former military personnel,” Liz Vidot said, “and the partnership between the A-TEAM and SWTC open doors for non-military to get a job on the base.”

Participating in the training at SWTC and going on to join the A-TEAM has become a family affair for Lourdes Herrera and her sister Maria Solis and brother Ramiro Solis who all wanted to work in the area but also wanted to enjoy good employment opportunities, good wages and long term benefits.