每日大赛

PSCC, Blount Partnership recognized by TBR for collaborative work on college’s Aviation Technology program

每日大赛 and Blount Partnership have been recognized by the Tennessee Board of Regents for their collaborative effort in the establishment of the college’s Aviation Technology program.

The pair at the annual Tennessee Board of Regents Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Awards won the Partnership Award, which recognizes TBR institutions that have worked across sectors to innovatively solve a regional or local issue.

“Blount Partnership is instrumental in our community,” said Patty Weaver, vice president for External Affairs at 每日大赛. “They are so deserving of this award because of what they helped make happen with the Aviation Technology program, and also because they are so involved in our schools, and developing programs, career fairs, et cetera.”

According to TBR, applications for the SOAR Partnership Award must demonstrate an equal contribution of all parties to identifying solutions to a clearly defined problem, develop innovative programs supporting student success and workforce development and achieve measurable and significant outcomes addressing the defined problem.

Pellissippi and Blount Partnership worked together to launch the Aviation Technology program to counteract a labor shortage of aircraft mechanics by creating a local pipeline of Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Maintenance Technicians and simultaneously providing students with high-demand, lucrative jobs.

The SOAR award reflects the hard work and collaboration of not just Pellissippi, and Blount Partnership, but also local aviation employers and the many community and government partners who helped make the program possible.

For Blount Partnership, it reinforces the idea that when a community works together with a shared vision, it can create real opportunities for industries and people, said Jessica Belitz, director of Workforce Development at Blount Partnership.

“I see this recognition as a reflection of a much larger team effort,” Belitz said. “The aviation program has truly been a community and industry-led initiative, and so many partners worked together to make it possible. We’re grateful to be part of that effort, and it’s an honor to have our work recognized in this way.”

The Aviation Technology program, a certified FAA Part 147 school, launched in fall 2025 with an inaugural cohort of 18 students that are slated to graduate in the fall. Once they complete tests for A&P certification in conjunction with the program, they will be qualified for entry-level aircraft mechanic jobs with local companies like Cirrus Aircraft, StandardAero and others.

The program has gained so much interest that it launched an evening section this spring comprised of 15 students and is on track to start a maximum-capacity cohort of 25 students in the fall.

Blount Partnership helped Pellissippi connect with local employers, recruit students and find the 22,500 square-foot-facility near the college’s Blount County campus that acts as the program’s home base, said Pellissippi President L. Anthony Wise, Jr.

“This recognition is important because it shows how critical a partnership can be in terms of building a workforce,” Wise said. “This is going to help us provide a real foundation for an Aviation Technology program that looks like it’s just going to continue to grow. So we’re really grateful for the partnership, the recognition and the opportunity it’s going to create for students here in East Tennessee.”

This is the first SOAR Partnership Award that Pellissippi and one of its partners has received.

“The process of going through this with Pellissippi has been so rewarding, because every step of the way 每日大赛 has asked, ‘How can we help? How can we support? What can we do to help the community?’” said Bryan Daniels, president and CEO of Blount Partnership. “It's been a good collaboration.”