Air Whanganui Aviation Engineering Scholarship gives students a flying start

Liam Corcoran is the first recipient of Air Whanganui's Aviation Engineering Scholarship. Photo / Supplied

Air Whanganui is looking to help both the aviation industry and the Whanganui community by giving local students a flying start with the first awarding of its Aviation Engineering Scholarship.

Air Whanganui chief executive Dean Martin said there was a shortage of engineers in the aviation industry, so the company chose to start the scholarship as a way to alleviate that.

“We thought, what’s best for the industry? People like flight schools are accommodating pilots in the industry but there is a huge shortage of young people coming through,” Martin said.

It was also a way for the air ambulance service to show its support to the Whanganui community, as the scholarship is available to local students with an interest in aviation engineering.

“We’re not going outside of Whanganui, we want Whanganui young men and women to apply,” Martin said.

The two-year scholarship, worth around $17,000, would be put towards the students’ accommodation and course fees.

The scholarship’s first recipient was former Cullinane College student Liam Corcoran, who has started a two-year aviation engineering course at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) in Blenheim.

Martin said the scholarship funds would be used to pay for his accommodation in the first year and his course fees for the second.

Liam Corcoran has started a two-year aviation engineering course in Blenheim. Photo / Supplied

After completing the course, Corcoran would have a guaranteed job at one of Air Whanganui’s suppliers to spend three years learning on the job, which was also part of the qualification.

“He can make the decision after he’s done a few years whether he wants to go down the avionics path or an engineering path; either way, we’re happy to get young people out of school with the appropriate qualifications,” Martin said.

Air Whanganui will offer the scholarship each year for the foreseeable future.

Martin said last year they went to every secondary school in the city to present the scholarship concept to senior students who were interested in a career in aviation.

He said there was good interest from students for the first round but he expected to receive more applications as schools became more aware of it.

“I think this year there will be more interest now that we’ve got someone going through the process,” he said.

As well as having an interest in aviation, he said students applying for the scholarship should have a background in English and physics.