Back to School Is a Big Leap Forward
To be honest, it came down to studying aviation or HVAC.
Caron Blackwell
Pittsburgh Campus, PA
Programs:
Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT)
Employment:
Lockheed Martin, Structural Assembler
Caron Blackwell didn’t initially plan to become an AMT. But when the company he worked for was bought out and its new owners shut down his facility, Blackwell got the unexpected opportunity to go back to school with funding provided by TRA, a Federal Trade Act program.
“To be honest, it came down to studying aviation or HVAC,” says Blackwell. “I had to do a lot of research between the two jobs to make my final decision. I wanted the path that would take me the farthest.”
For Blackwell, his post-PIA path has led him to Lockheed Martin, where he works as a structural assembler. “Being hired by the world’s largest defense company to work alongside some of the brightest minds in aviation as we build parts for C–130 aircraft which are used by the U.S. military and our allies, this is a job that I take great pride in doing well.”