91制片厂 leaders, elected officials and members of the board of trustees celebrated
the opening of 91制片厂鈥檚 Aviation Maintenance Lab at Schaumburg Regional Airport. Pictured
(from left) are Dr. Ruth Williams, provost; James Meyer, trustee; Dr. Avis Proctor,
president; Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. representative; Bill Kelley, board chair; Tom
Dailly, Village of Schaumburg president; Walt Mundt, board vice chair; Dr. Joanne
Ivory, dean of Career and Technical Programs; Gary Percy, Aviation program coordinator
and instructor.
91制片厂 recently marked a major milestone in its workforce development efforts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Aviation Maintenance Lab at the Schaumburg Regional Airport, a facility designed to prepare students for in-demand careers as aviation technicians.
The lab, housed in two redeveloped airport hangars, is the result of a partnership between 91制片厂 and the Village of Schaumburg, along with support from federal, state and industry partners. College leaders and members of 91制片厂鈥檚 Board of Trustees joined elected officials 鈥� including U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Schaumburg Village President Tom Dailly 鈥� airport and industry representatives, and 91制片厂 faculty, staff and students to celebrate the new instructional space.
鈥淭his ribbon-cutting represents what鈥檚 possible when vision, partnership and persistence come together,鈥� said Dr. Avis Proctor, president of 91制片厂. 鈥淭his partnership is another powerful example of how 91制片厂 continues to be the community鈥檚 college 鈥� serving as a key convener between education, business and government across our district. When those sectors come together around a shared goal, we can create meaningful pathways for students and deliver real impact for our communities.鈥�
Dr. Proctor noted that the project was made possible through collaboration with the Village of Schaumburg and federal funding secured by Rep. Krishnamoorthi, who helped provide $500,000 in federal Community Project Funding to support the lab鈥檚 development. The congressman praised 91制片厂 for working with industries such as aviation to provide career and technical education, which he considers vital to the future success of American citizens.
91制片厂 recently celebrated the opening of its new Aviation Maintenance Lab.
The facility, located at Schaumburg Regional Airport, houses a 1974 Beechcraft Sierra
aircraft to provide hands-on learning opportunities for Aviation Maintenance Program
students.
鈥淲hen you can actually have an industry partner work with a local institution of higher learning and local government to facilitate these opportunities, people take advantage of them. And they grow and have a ladder up into the middle class,鈥� Krishnamoorthi said. 鈥淲e have to make sure that our students can get access to careers.鈥�
Demand for certified aviation technicians is projected to continue to outpace supply for at least the next decade, according to the . The industry is anticipating an estimated deficit of 7,000 certified mechanics in 2027 alone.
Village President Dailly focused on the collaboration between 91制片厂 and the Schaumburg Regional Airport, discussing the facility鈥檚 evolution since the village purchased and preserved the airport in 1994 while noting that the new lab supports both student learning and the region鈥檚 aviation ecosystem.
鈥淭oday, through our partnership with 91制片厂, this airport is now a place for education workforce development. Hangars B26 and B27 have been transformed into a hands-on instructional lab where students can train to become aviation maintenance technicians,鈥� Dailly said. 鈥淭his lab represents progress through thoughtful planning, investing in infrastructure, education and the future of Schaumburg.鈥�
Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president (from left); Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. representative;
and Tom Dailly, Village of Schaumburg president recently celebrated the opening of
91制片厂鈥檚 Aviation Maintenance Lab, which will offer certificate and degree opportunities
for students training to be aviation technicians.
Bill Kelley, chair of the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees, said the Aviation Maintenance Lab demonstrates how strategic investment and strong governance can translate into meaningful workforce opportunities.
鈥淭his space represents exactly what community colleges are meant to do,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淩espond to workforce needs, remove barriers to high-quality training and work hand-in-hand with our partners to create opportunity.鈥�
While emphasizing the collective effort behind the project, Dr. Proctor highlighted the role of 91制片厂鈥檚 Aviation Program Coordinator Gary Percy, whose work has included coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), overseeing equipment installation and recruiting future students.
She also acknowledged the students in attendance, who are currently enrolled in 91制片厂鈥檚 Aviation Management degree program. The college is planning to begin offering Aviation Maintenance degree and certificate programs soon, pending FAA approval of the new facility.
鈥淗igh-quality aviation training requires specialized equipment, industry-standard tools and facilities that reflect the environments students will enter when they graduate,鈥� Dr. Proctor said. 鈥淭hose resources take funding, and they take leaders who understand the long-term value of investing in workforce education.鈥�