The partnership helps support a pilot’s training needs from the beginning of their journey. 

In response to high industry demand for certified pilots, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology (Spartan) and SkyWest Airlines (SkyWest) (NASDAQ: SKYW) are announcing the SkyWest Pilot Career Pathway at Spartan’s Tulsa, Okla. flight campus.  

Historically, airlines created partnerships to recruit pilots as they approached graduation, often competing with signing bonuses to address their hiring needs. However, these partnerships rarely considered how to maintain or increase the supply of qualified individuals necessary to meet demand. With flight demand accelerating, Spartan can help support SkyWest’s hiring goals by securing access to qualified students at the start of their training.  

While access to the career pathway and milestone benefits are not guaranteed, Spartan Cadets may receive tuition reimbursement from SkyWest as they achieve certain program milestones, as well as Spartan scholarships for those who qualify. In combination with a customized experience, SkyWest and Spartan aim to expand the market to include people who might otherwise not consider aviation as a career path. 

“Our Spartan Cadets are well-positioned to address SkyWest’s hiring needs. Spartan offers an ACCSC accredited program emphasizing technology and safety for students that love to fly. In as few as 17 months, our students can log 200+ hours in our fleet of new Piper Archer airplanes and graduate with the training needed for their six FAA certifications and ratings,” said Rob Polston, Chief Executive Officer at Spartan College. “We go beyond other schools by further supporting our graduates with the opportunity to join Spartan as Certified Flight Instructors. They qualify for a reduced Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) of 1,250 hours and in this way, we can place well-trained pilots on the SkyWest flight decks in a relatively short time.”

“We are excited for this new partnership with Spartan. This career pathway directly supports students on their journey to become commercial pilots,” said Tracy Gallo, SVP of Flight Operations at SkyWest. “Spartan is well known for producing top aviation professionals and establishing this SkyWest Pilot Career Pathway with them will continue to ensure we maintain a strong pipeline of professional aviators. We look forward to working with Spartan students throughout their training experience.” 

After launching this new pilot training partnership, both Spartan College and SkyWest Airlines look forward to developing a similar career pathway for Aviation Maintenance Technicians. 

Source: See Spartan Press Release here.

For more information, kindly contact Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology.

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