Last fall, the University System of Maryland shared that aviation maintenance technicians are in high demand, and about how the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is rising to meet the need.
Through a new UMES partnership with the Salisbury Regional Airport, Piedmont Airlines, Wicomico Co, and the State of Maryland, students can complete a12-month program to prepare for certification and immediate employment opportunities.
In February, James M Bennett High School thanked Ocean Aviation, Piedmont Airlines, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Aviation Maintenance Technician Program for giving their students an inside look at the careers available in aviation.
The high school said their students experienced a full day packed with inspiration. "Who knows, some of today’s students may be your future pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians! The sky truly is the limit," they posted on social media.
Last week, Maryland Governor Wes Moore delivered the keynote speech at the graduation ceremony for the first group of students in the Aviation Maintenance Technician program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The press release stated that the program imparts students with essential technical skills to students and provides them with a direct route into a high-demand career by combining classroom teaching with practical experience in the areas of aircraft inspection, maintenance, repair, safety, and regulatory compliance.
Soon, a young man from Ohio will join an aviation mechanic program near his home.
Landerius "Dede" Hayes finished school in May and told CBS Mornings that he intends to become an aviation mechanic.
For this young man, the journey hasn't been easy, and the headteacher who tried to help him was asked to resign after 31 years of service.
About a year or two before that, the then-headteacher, Mr. Rob Burnside, came across Hayes in the corridor, and the young man remembers saying, "Hi, what's up, Mr. Burnside?"
At that time, the teenager was already having difficulties with homelessness, as the news magazine reported.
When a letter reached the school informing him that his mother had a new address, he considered dropping out.
When Mr. Burnside asked his wife if they could help him, she agreed since the family had already taken in two children.
With Hayes' mother's approval, the high school student moved into the Burnside household. However, Mr. Burnside was asked to step down.
Hayes, feeling worried, proposed going back to his mother, but the Burnsides told him to remain at the school.
When speaking to CBS Mornings, Hayes was deeply moved and said that, before the Burnsides took him in, he had struggled to eat, attend school every day; had slept in his car and had tried to be a good person.
In reply, Mr. Burnside asked, "What value do you put on the life of a young person?"
Hayes is working as an auto technician for Honda as he waits to pursue his dream of becoming an aviation mechanic.
In May of this year, Hayes walked across the stage and graduated from high school. He also received a certificate for winning a leadership award in Varsity Men's Basketball for the 2025-2026 year.
David Begnaud, the CBS News contributor, stated in the interview that the Burnsides have six adult children and that, with Hayes, there are now seven.