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ATEC INSIGHT By Ryan Goertzen 46 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY T HE AVIATION TECHNICIAN EDUCATION COUNCIL (ATEC) is the voice of aviation maintenance train- ing. The council works tirelessly to promote and support technician education, bringing together part 147 aviation maintenance training schools (AMTS) and the aerospace industry. In furtherance of that work, the theme of this year's ATEC Annual Conference is "building career pipelines." The event agenda illustrates the AMTS community's resolve to address issues facing aviation maintenance training, and to meet the growing demand for technicians. A full half day of the conference is dedicated to regu- lator y initiatives. For years, ATEC has pushed for a new part 147, the rule that governs AMTS operations and cur- riculum, and continues to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that future regulation will allow for a competency-based education module, giving AMTS the ability to cater programs to industry needs. This has been a long time coming, but ATEC believes we are very close to seeing a new rule this summer. Agency representatives will also discuss the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Airman Cer tification Standards (ACS), which will replace outdated Practical Test Standards (PTS). The ACS FAA-industry working group meets regularly to ensure that when the new rules are published there is a seamless transition between the new regulation and testing requirements. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from regulators on how AMTS can best prepare for implementation of a new rule and the AMT ACS. A recent ATEC survey suggests that a focused effort to provide clear and attractive paths from aviation technician programs to the industry would help fill the demand gap for qualified maintenance employees. To that end, day two of the conference will focus on industry partnerships, and will debut our first-ever Employer Expo, which will provide an opportunity for company recruiters to connect with career development personnel. Thanks to our initial spon- sors Endeavor Air, SkyWest Airlines, JetBlue, Columbia Helicopters, and Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the expo will facilitate partnerships and programs to meet the growing global demand for technicians. The conference will round-out with a Boeing-sponsored day of professional development sessions. ATEC is truly committed to this portion of the conference, focused on the continuing education of our membership's fac- ulty. Thanks to Boeing's generosity, instructors will get a glimpse of how current training is conducted on the 737Max, and how composite training has developed to meet the requirements of the 787. I invite you to attend ATEC's annual conference to experience all this and more, including an update on ATEC's activities, international opportunities as the need for aviation maintenance technicians continues to grow globally, and a tour of Boeing's Everett plant. We'll see you there! RYAN GOERTZEN is the president of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, OK. He was named president of the Aviation Technician Education Council in April 2014. To learn more about ATEC, visit www. atec-amt.org. BUILDING AVIATION CAREER PIPELINES Join the Aviation Technician Education Council's Annual Conference on April 1-3 in Seattle, WA