As the national demand for pilots continues to climb, Bowling Green State University has created a pathway for students to enter the workforce faster through a newly formed partnership with one of the largest regional airlines in the United States.
The university is partnering with Republic Airways to provide students a direct pipeline to a career through conditional job offers, which they can receive as early as their second year in the aviation program.
“The demand for pilots is especially intense right now,” said Carlton Braun, aviation program coordinator. “This partnership allows students to engage with an airline early and gets them in the pilot’s seat faster.”
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Republic Airways operates under its major airline partner brands of American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express.
“We’re excited to partner with BGSU on a program that offers students a direct and predictable path to a career in aviation as a commercial airline pilot,” said Jailah Long, Republic Airways campus recruiter. “Bowling Green has a remarkable and well-deserved reputation for the quality of its programs and the quality of its graduates.”
She noted there are a number of benefits for students. Once students meet the requirements of their conditional job offers, including 1,000 hours of flight time, they must attend additional training before officially becoming a Republic Airways pilot.
Students with conditional job offers are offered priority attendance in that training, a significant advantage with current hiring trends in the aviation industry.
Regional airlines are typically the first step in a pilot’s career. Braun said seniority at a regional airline, starting when a student becomes an ambassador at Republic Airways, sets them up to move quickly through the ranks and onto commercial piloting.
That’s precisely the path that BGSU senior and Republic Airways ambassador Kyle Oliver hopes to follow. He will graduate this spring and expects to reach 1,000 hours of flight time in December as an instructor at Bowling Green Flight Center. At that point, he’ll be eligible to begin his training with Republic Airways. “It’s huge knowing I have a job waiting for me once I get all my hours,” Oliver said. “After Republic, I’d like to work at one of the major commercial airlines like Delta, United, American or Southwest.”
Republic Airways is the aviation program’s first formalized partnership, but Braun said they are open to additional opportunities.
“These airlines are all looking for good flight students, and we produce good flight students,” he said. “We have a very successful program, so hopefully, we will get more of these industry partnerships.”
