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Leon County board spotlights Lively Technical College aviation program and its workforce outcomes
Summary
At its May 13 meeting, the Leon County School Board heard a superintendent spotlight on Lively Technical College’s aviation program, where instructor Rutledge Fuller and two recent graduates described low-cost training, career placement and enrollment constraints.
The Leon County School Board on May 13 heard a superintendent spotlight on the aviation program at Lively Technical College, where lead instructor Rutledge Fuller and two recent graduates described hands-on training and local and national job placement for alumni.
Fuller told the board the program offers low out-of-pocket tuition for Leon County students and described graduates who quickly move into high-paying aviation work. “The day they leave our program, they have they are able to gain $90,000 a year,” Fuller said. Fuller also described the program’s long history and the variety of equipment and aircraft students train on.
The program’s recent graduates described how the training changed their lives. Simon Buboles, who graduated about a year ago and chose a general aviation path, said grants covered his schooling so he paid little out of pocket and that the program “was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Jefferson Prophet, a 2023 graduate who said he accepted an offer from Pratt & Whitney before graduation, told the board he used his training earnings to build a house and buy a Tesla.
Board members pressed Fuller on enrollment and capacity. Fuller said the program must maintain about a 25-to-1 student-to-teacher workload and that it typically accepts about 17 students in the August cohort and 17 in December. He said the program has been graduating “about 50 to 60 students a year” and that many alumni now live and work across the country, reducing the local talent pool.
Fuller urged local economic development officials to recruit aviation employers to the area so the program’s graduates can find more local jobs. He also thanked the district for recent purchases of training aids and restored aircraft that students use for instruction.
Board members and superintendent thanked Fuller, Van Camp and the students for the presentation and noted the program’s role in career and technical education and in Leon County’s workforce pipeline.
The board did not take action on the presentation. The spotlight was presented as part of regular reports to the board.
