Oklahoma CareerTech has chosen the SAE Institute/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) Professional Certification Program to provide advanced credentials for its aviation maintenance students. The program works to provide state employers with the skilled workforce needed to keep them and the state of Oklahoma competitive on the global aerospace stage.

Oklahoma CareerTech will begin by implementing the SAE Institute/PAMA Aviation Maintenance Specialist/Aviation Maintenance Engineer Knowledge Assessments and certification exams. Aviation maintenance instructors at several of its schools will be the first to participate and non-FAA certified aviation maintenance students will be among the first directed toward aviation maintenance specialist certification.

"We are proud to have been selected by Oklahoma CareerTech to provide advanced aviation maintenance credentials for its students," Brian Finnegan, director, SAE Institute/PAMA Certification Program, said. "We applaud CareerTech's Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee, Okla., for taking such a strong role in advancing technical excellence in the aviation maintenance profession and we look forward to our partnership with them."

Gordon Cooper, Shawnee's astronaut native son, was one of NASA's original seven in Project Mercury, the first manned-space effort by the United States. "With the implementation of the SAE Institute/PAMA Aviation Maintenance Certification program, we are continuing Gordon Cooper's legacy of aerospace leadership," said Orville Manuel, State Program Manager of Trade and Industrial Programs for the Oklahoma Department of Career Tech.

Developed in adherence with industry consensus standards, the SAE Institute/PAMA Professional Certification initially offers two designations:

• Non-certified individuals can earn the Aviation Maintenance Specialist (AMS) certification;
• FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics can earn the Aviation Maintenance Engineer (AME) certification.

SAE Institute/PAMA's Aviation Maintenance Fundamentals Certification Preparation and Technical Refresher Training Course are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for inspection authorization renewal and FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Awards credit.

FMI: www.pama.org