AAR CORP. a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, hosted Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, leaders from Rock Valley College and local officials and partners at its Rockford, Illinois, MRO facility on January 26.
Governor Pritzker announced a US$2.6 million investment by the State of Illinois to support and expand workforce training, pipeline development and apprenticeships at AAR’s Rockford MRO facility at the Rockford International Airport (RFD). This announcement builds upon the State’s FY22 investment that helped bolster AAR’s comprehensive workforce strategy that led to an increase in AAR’s aviation mechanics in Rockford from 85 in 2019 to more than 350 in 2023.
The State’s US$5.2 million cumulative investment in FY22 and FY23 strengthens the aviation mechanic pipeline to meet growing demand. Through AAR’s comprehensive workforce strategy, the State’s funding supports apprenticeship opportunities, employee advancement training, hiring of training personnel and bolsters partnerships with Rock Valley College (RVC) and high schools throughout Northern Illinois. These efforts improve the pipeline of qualified aviation mechanics.
