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Mesa Community College

FAA Certification for Electronics Program

You may soon be able to thank a Mesa Community College student for ensuring safe and smooth-running operations at airports throughout the country. The Federal Aviation Administration has certified MCC as an official Airway Facilities-Collegiate Training Initiative (AF-CTI) Partner School. The certification makes MCC the only AF-CTI Partner School in Arizona and one of 38 in the country.

MCC students are now eligible for FAA scholarships, internships, and eventual full-time employment as electronic technicians. The program also provides training opportunities for current FAA employees who want to advance their careers. 

JD Neglia, MCC Electronics Program Director, said the FAA’s goal is to establish a pipeline for a new workforce of electronic technicians as a large number of current technicians near retirement age. Electronic technicians are responsible for the maintenance of automated air traffic control landing systems, radar systems, and other equipment.

“All airports are just bristling with electronic systems, and the technicians who run them must be extremely capable,” JD said. “This is a great opportunity for our electronics technology students.”

MCC instructors recommend students for the AF-CTI program upon completion of the MCC electronics program. If accepted, students do a month of training in Oklahoma City. When they complete the program, they are qualified for employment at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport or other airports throughout the country. 

An FAA assessment team visited MCC this past fall for a thorough examination of the electronics program. The team certified the existing electronics program with no changes. This means students who have already nearly completed the program have access to this opportunity with no additional coursework, and students who have already graduated can also take advantage of the program. 

Plans are underway for a ceremony at MCC where FAA officials will officially present a plaque recognizing MCC as an AF-CTI Partner School. 

“This career truly has job security,” JD said. “This is the kind of job that will never get outsourced. It’s a future-proof kind of career.”