Titus Sanders, Executive Director, School of Aviation, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU)
In an interview with Invest:, Titus Sanders, executive director of the School of Aviation at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), discussed aviation workforce demand, emerging technologies, industry partnerships, and ECSU’s expanding aviation programs and facilities. “Aviation is the largest program at this university, and we want to be a leader in this field,” Sanders said.
How is aviation growth shaping workforce needs?
There is tremendous growth in the aviation industry globally; manufacturers are producing larger aircraft, which allows people to travel faster and farther around the world. As airlines purchase more aircraft, there’s a need for additional pilots to fill those seats. There is also a need for additional air traffic controllers to ensure aircraft have freedom of maneuver in the skies for safety, aviation maintenance technicians, and people who support flight operations globally, including our aviation management majors.
Elizabeth City State University is positioned to help fill the country’s aviation workforce development needs by producing individuals in those career fields. We are also responding to the growth of small unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, and drones. They are being used more widely for commercial applications, including delivering supplies and food, wildfire suppression, and transportation of medical supplies in an emergency. Graduates of our Aviation Science and Unmanned Aerial Systems programs are needed across a wide range of industries nationwide, and ECSU is proud to help fill that demand.
What opportunities are emerging across aviation careers?
We’ll start with flight education. Several airlines have large aircraft purchases, including United Airlines, where I am also employed. United expects to take delivery of about 700 new aircraft over the next decade, which means additional pilots are needed to fly them. Airlines also have an FAA-mandated retirement age of 65 for pilots. Retirements combined with new aircraft purchases create a void. Since COVID, airlines have hired record numbers of pilots, with various carriers hiring somewhere between 1,000 and 2,400 pilots a year.
That creates a great opportunity for students who want to become pilots. Companies that historically did not use UAS are also adopting them. UPS, Amazon, and Walmart are beginning to use drone delivery services, which require skilled pilots who are qualified to operate drones in the National Airspace System. The shortage of air traffic controllers across the United States has caused flight delays and reduced schedules at certain airports. ECSU is one of the few universities with an FAA Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program. We can help fill that gap and produce more controllers as airlines and air travel continue to grow in the United States and globally.
What opportunities could emerging aviation technologies create for ECSU?
In the very near future, I see ECSU growing in advanced air mobility and eVTOL. These technologies can connect smaller cities and towns with larger areas without requiring a larger airplane. Some of the aircraft are electrically powered and also use AI for assistance, so there is a lot of growth in this space. I hope we begin to delve into this space because it is ripe for opportunity. Aviation is the largest program at this university, and we want to be a leader in this field nationally.
How are partnerships expanding opportunities for students?
We have dual-enrollment agreements with several North Carolina high schools. They allow high school students to take courses through Elizabeth City Online and get a jump-start on their college education. We have also partnered with Lenoir Community College in Kinston, allowing us to provide flight training for its students using our aircraft. We expect to begin operations soon to support that program.
We are establishing hubs for flight education majors around North Carolina so that students anywhere in the state can drive less than an hour for flight training, take online classes, and earn an aviation science degree from ECSU. Our industry partnerships include United Airlines’ Aviate® program, which gives eligible aviation students and instructors a career pathway to the United flight deck. We have similar relationships with the Delta Propel program and the Republic RJet Cadet Program. These partnerships with high schools, community colleges, and industry provide opportunities across the spectrum.
What will the Aviation Science Building provide?
It will help students focus when they enter a building dedicated to aviation. Most schools with aviation programs do not have a facility like the one being built here. The approximately 57,000-square-foot building will include an indoor drone facility, air traffic control labs, UAS labs, flight simulator labs, and conference rooms. It will provide a comprehensive, immersive experience and give aviation students a unique space designated for them. I am excited about the construction and its value as a learning hub and recruiting tool. It will show prospective students that ECSU is serious about its aviation programs and give them a home on campus.
What makes you most hopeful about the program’s future?
What gives me hope is growth. There is a great deal of opportunity to grow in-state, expand our reach nationally, and provide opportunities to students who otherwise might not be able to pursue these career paths. Growth is what excites me most, along with the resources the state and the institution are providing to support the School of Aviation.
