The Boeing Company recently established a $3 million permanent endowment for scholarships at Embry-Riddle and announced its first cohort of Boeing Scholars.
The 22 scholarship recipients were selected based on their academic achievements, as well as their demonstrated financial need. The Boeing scholarships will focus on increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities in the aviation industry, and supporting military veterans and their dependents enrolled at the university. However, all students pursuing certification as a pilot or an airframe and powerplant mechanic are eligible to apply.
“At a time when we are facing a global shortage of aviation professionals, it is critically important to widen the talent pipeline,” says Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler. “It is an honor to partner with Boeing to enrich and enhance the aviation workforce.”
According to Boeing’s 2018 Pilot & Technician Outlook, the industry will need 790,000 new civil aviation pilots and 754,000 new maintenance technicians to fly and maintain the world’s growing fleet of aircraft over the next 20 years. The forecast is inclusive of the commercial aviation, business aviation and civil helicopter industries.
The $3 million award to Embry-Riddle builds upon Boeing’s longstanding support of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs, women, military veterans and minorities. In 2018 alone, Boeing contributed a record $284 million to build better communities worldwide.