East Central High School Debuting Aerospace Mechanic Program This Fall

Students who go to East Central High School in Tulsa will have the chance to take part in an aerospace mechanics program in the fall.

School officials hope this program will help East Central students get a high paying job right out of high school while also saving some money.

“We want to prepare kids for a career, whatever that looks like for them after high school,” said Tristen Black, the manager of College and Career Pathways for Tulsa Public Schools.

Students interested in the program will take four elective classes, one for each year, to prepare for the Federal Aviation Administration’s airplane mechanic test.

Once students pass that test and get the certification, students can start work right away.

“The job market can be tough, and this is such a great career that students can step into immediately, and not just have it as a job, but be able to advance in that career and move up,” said Black.

TPS said this program will also help students figure out earlier what they want to do after high school.

“The cost factor is a huge thing, but also, being able to have the opportunity to figure out what you might want to do in high school,” said Black. “This provides students an opportunity to get an inside look at an industry that normally students wouldn’t be able to know much about.”

East Central High School Principal Gina Wilson hopes kids will take advantage of this free opportunity to learn industry-specific skills in the classroom.

“The students having a choice in what their career looks like is huge,” said Wilson. “Understanding that there’s a demographic of students that will go to college, and there is a demographic of students who will go right into the workforce. But what we want to ensure is when they go into the workforce that they are making a living wage.”

Wilson said she is excited to see students who take part in the program succeed.

“I think the biggest reward comes after they’ve graduated and I go somewhere and I see them and they say you’ll never guess what I’m doing,” Wilson said. “And so, I’m looking forward in 4 and a half years to have students see me out and say, you’ll never guess where I work!”

It’s not too late to enroll students in the program, but the program is only open to students who attend East Central High School.

If you are interested in the program, you are encouraged to contact Principal Gina Wilson.