Ask anyone in aircraft maintenance to name the industry’s biggest challenge, and chances are they will rank finding and keeping qualified technicians at or near the top of the list. For Duncan Aviation, one of the country’s largest business aircraft MROs, the issue came into focus almost 15 years ago while the economy was still in recovery from the Great Recession.

“In 2010, we conducted a long-term analysis of what the aviation industry would look like in the next 10 to 15 years,” said Jeff Lake, President of the Lincoln, Nebraska-based company. “The data was clear that by the early 2020s—and beyond—there would be a significant reduction in available labor due to Baby Boomer generation retirements. In addition, we were seeing fewer students coming out of the A&P schools, even as demand for services was increasing.”

As Lake explained, the viability of a long-term and prosperous career in aviation maintenance hasn’t been “widely known or included” in options for high school students—or younger—to consider. “It’s one of the best kept secrets,” he said. “At the same time, an aviation maintenance career is high stress. Our technicians shoulder a lot of responsibilities in their daily tasks. The work they perform must be done accurately and with high quality because even a minor misstep could result in a damaged aircraft—or worse.”

Lake also noted that aviation maintenance careers must compete with demand from other industries, such as automotive, robotics, trucking, and agricultural equipment. “The airlines are really not our competitor,” he stressed. “People are looking for skilled labor, and many of those industries are offering significant signing bonuses, which is something we have not done.”

To ramp up recruiting, Duncan Aviation established an airframe apprenticeship program in March 2019, adding powerplant in August of that year. Initially offered only at the company’s main MRO complex at Lincoln, the program has since been implemented at Duncan Aviation’s Provo, Utah, and Battle Creek, Michigan, facilities.

As Lake described it, the apprenticeship program is open to all, but outreach is focused on local candidates, including high school students who express an interest in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) careers or have a high mechanical aptitude.

“We also look at candidates who work locally in other technical fields, such as automotive and small engine repair, who are interested in but have no previous aviation experience. Additionally, military veterans who have worked on fixed wing aircraft or helicopters but do not have their A&P are recruited into the program to gain relevant experience in order to sit for, and achieve, their licenses.”

In that regard, Lake said that Duncan Aviation representatives attend veteran-specific career fairs and TAP (Transition Assistance Program) classes. At the same time, the company is a recognized SkillBridge employer to attract veterans—with or without prior aviation experience. SkillBridge, a Department of Defense program, provides an opportunity for veterans to gain civilian experience with designated partner employers during their last 180 days of service. For Duncan Aviation, it is another recruitment opportunity.

Lake added that Duncan Aviation has also dedicated recruiting resources to active participation in career events focused on under-represented populations. Among those targeted are historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with aviation programs; Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OPAP); Women in Aviation International (WAI); and a variety of local organizations such as the Good Neighbor Center, Malone Center, Urban League, and Asian Community Center.

“Achieving workforce diversity has been a major effort by Duncan Aviation over the years. Each year, we try to improve that,” Lake explained. “In fact, a lot of our recruitment has become more focused in that area, and as a result, more minority populations who are not typically in the aircraft maintenance profession are represented in our workforce.”

As a bottom line, Lake stressed that Duncan Aviation is willing to train mechanically inclined individuals who want to become aviation technicians if they are willing to learn. “You can not only be trained, but also build a career at Duncan Aviation. That is really the emphasis of our recruiting efforts,” he said.

The apprenticeship program has had a reasonably good success rate, according to data that Lake shared. Since its start five years ago, 132 A or P certificates have been achieved by apprenticeship enrollees, with 26 additional certificates expected in 2024 and more than 40 in 2025. The current number of apprenticeship enrollees is more than 80 team members.

“We have focused more on training and development—and opportunity,” Lake stated. “For example, we have upwards of 500 to 600 promotions per year, so we offer a chance to grow a career. A lot of technicians who started out on the shop floor have become team leaders, project managers, or gone into sales. What we have built is not just a job—it’s a good place to work. In fact, our workforce has always been a major recruiting resource.”

Lake added that during the COVID pandemic, Duncan Aviation did not lay off employees. “We kept our people fully employed, even if we suffered financially in the short term,” he said. “As a family-owned business, our crew members are considered a part of the family. And as we continue to get bigger, it is even more important that we maintain that family feeling, that we care about and treat each other like family members.”

Asked about staff turnover, Lake said that the company had its worst year in 2021, when much of the industry saw numerous departures due to the pandemic. That year, staff turnover was 14.7%. For 2023, the number was 11.73%. “We added over 500 people between 2020 and 2023,” he reported.

At Duncan Aviation, the long-term career possibilities extend far beyond maintenance technicians, as Lake explained. “Many of our management positions are filled internally with those who have developed their leadership skills through internal training opportunities,” he pointed out. “While some of our leadership positions do require a 4-year college degree, many times, experience or training will substitute for that.”

Along this line, he noted, Duncan Aviation offers tuition reimbursement for team members who are interested in pursuing their degree or obtaining another degree while they are employed. “When looking outside of the company, recruitment for these positions is conducted with local universities and organization groups,” Lake said. “We also use LinkedIn and industry job boards.”

He added that job vacancy postings are sent out every Tuesday via email to all team members, as well as posted on the company intranet and DATV screens located in breakrooms and lunchrooms at all facilities.

In tandem with career opportunities, Lake said that Duncan Aviation takes the well-being of its staff seriously. To illustrate, he explained that the company “took a hard look at overtime” as COVID generated a huge spike in MRO demand. “Starting with the second half of 2021, we began seeing a significant increase in quote and shop schedule requests,” he reported. “This seemed to be due to pent-up demand from the general business slow-down in 2020 due to COVID, and greater demand for business aviation services.”

By 2022, according to Lake, Duncan Aviation’s hangars were extremely busy and demand for services exceeded available capacity. “On top of that, labor shortages became severe, which put additional strain on our workforce. We realized we had to monitor and manage overtime for our team members in order to reduce burn out and retain them. We know we need to give people a break, and we are training our managers and supervisors to understand that.”

The company has also established an Employee Assistance Program, which includes a free service available to those who may need support in such areas as financial planning, legal assistance, substance abuse, or a death. The program also offers its PTB Crisis Bank which allows team members in certain situations to receive donated paid time off (PTO) hours to use during a crisis event where they may be away from work for some time without ample PTO to receive continued wages.

“Each of our full-service locations also has an onsite Behavioral Health Specialist available for counseling services,” Lake added.

It does not stop there. As Lake noted, Duncan Aviation is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to encourage and engage its team members on the job.

“Enterprise-wide programs we have implemented over the past three years include the introduction of new-parent leave to provide paid time away from work to bond with a new baby; enriched PTO accruals with expanded options for long-term tenured employees; a Team Member Choice Program to allow team members to place benefit dollars into programs that best suit them and their stage in life; and the creation of Team Member Connections activities and programs.”

Going forward, Duncan Aviation continues to build a reputation where people tend to stay for the long term, if its “Silver Wings” club is any indication. The club is open to those employees who reach their 25th anniversary with the company and, to date, includes over 600 current and former staff members.

“Every business determines the culture they want to instill at their company. For Duncan Aviation, family is key,” Lake stressed. “Todd Duncan, and before him, Robert Duncan, set the tone by creating the company around family values. Trust, empowerment, relationships, empathy, accountability, and career development are all values that Todd, Robert, and Duncan Aviation leadership have emphasized as the foundation of the culture we wish to have. Since there will continue to be more demand than resources, we have to be the employer of choice—a company that people enjoy working for and that offers career development, not just pay.”