Unidentified speaker outlines plan to route tech-center students into Offshore Aviation Group apprenticeships

An unidentified speaker at a St. Mary's County meeting said a meeting in Leonardtown produced talks to build a trades pipeline between the local tech center and Offshore Aviation Group in Piney Point.

The speaker said he met the CEO of Offshore Aviation Group and that the company reported a "severe lack of, trades people, welders, diesel mechanics, especially, and people willing ... to get their hands dirty and actually fix stuff." The speaker said he introduced the CEO to Josh Guy, "who's on the school board," and that they will "try and set up a pipeline of students going from the tech center to go and intern at O.A.G., going from the internship ... to a summertime internship program to a apprentice program ... and for possibly for full time employment."

The plan described by the speaker would use the technical center as a pathway into maritime and mechanical work locally, aiming to reduce the need for students to travel to Northern Virginia for welding or diesel positions. "If they find people who are willing to jump on a ship and go do some maritime operations, and that's a big plus for them," the speaker said.

The speaker framed the effort as cooperation "between the school system and, and all of our employers around here" to reestablish the technical center's intended role as a direct path to employment for students. The speaker did not provide a timeline, funding details, or a formal agreement; he said participants "are gonna set up" the program and described stages from internships to apprenticeships to possible full-time hiring.

The next procedural steps and responsible parties were not specified in the remarks. The speaker did identify Josh Guy as being "on the school board" and named Offshore Aviation Group and the Piney Point operations as the private employer engaged in talks. No motion, vote or formal memorandum of understanding was presented during the segment.