WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |Governor Riley visits Ozark aviation training center

Governor Riley visits Ozark aviation training center

Posted by: Daniel Curtis - bio | email

OZARK, AL (WSFA) - During his time in office Governor Riley has stressed the importance of workforce training across the state in three major areas aviation, maritime and robotics.

Tuesday, Governor Riley was in Ozark touring the Enterprise Ozark Community College's aviation training center a place the governor says is vital to the future of the state.

The aviation training center in Ozark is one of four such centers in Alabama; educating students in airframe, power plant, and avionics technologies.

"We the capacity to turn out 950 to 1000 students every year, a thousand students a year with their AP certification no other state can do that," explained the governor.

The almost ten million dollar facility opened last year bringing a new hangar and state of the art classrooms to the EOCC campus.

A year later graduating students are earning $20 plus an hour in a field always looking to hire.

"An organization and a school like this are very important to what we do and that relates to the training of the pilots in the war fight," says Maj Gen. James Barclay, commanding general of Fort Rucker.

There are more than 300 aviation companies in the state.  One of those companies Army Fleet Support employs 3,800 people; many of them right out of the Ozark training center.

"Some employers can't say that but we are blessed to have it," said John Hamlin, general manager of Army Fleet Support.

Blessed and looking to hire around 200 more people.

"How many other places in the state of Alabama is there a market for 4000 jobs and employees that are going to be making 40 to 60 thousand dollars a year," added Governor Riley.

There are also aviation training centers in Albertville, Andalusia and Mobile.

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