Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility
December 17th, 2024
[From WINK] Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility
The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
The Charlotte Technical College broke ground on the new facility Wednesday.
These are renderings of what it will look like.
The training facility will be on the grounds of the Punta Gorda airport and will have a 10,000-square-foot hangar along with additional classrooms and labs.
Students will receive hands-on training in aviation maintenance technology.
After finishing the program, they’ll be certified as aviation maintenance general technicians and power plant maintenance technicians.
Dr. Brian Granstra with the school district said the goal is to bring new jobs and new businesses to Charlotte County.
“We work very closely to grow the area and grow the support for the airport because as more airplane traffic comes into the airport, we need to have more technicians to be able to service those planes,” said Granstra. “When they complete both those programs, they can work on all parts of the airplane, and they’re FAA-approved and as a high-demand job.”
Fifty students are currently enrolled in the mechanic programs, but Dr. Granstra said they anticipate having more than 150 students.
The new training facility is expected to be completed by January 2026.
