Aviation Technology/Aircraft Structures Mechanic Apprenticeship
West Los Angeles College · Culver City, CA
- Cost
- $10,186
- Length
- 260 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -13.3%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
No regional figures for this program's city
Culver City is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Job ads may call this: Aircraft Mechanic · Aircraft Restorer · Aviation Mechanic · Aircraft Maintainer
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
- Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
- Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
- Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
- Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
- Typical pay in California
- $88,534per year
- Projected openings
- 11,680
- Projected change
- +12.8%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 35% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 3%
- High school diploma
- 27%
- Started college, no degree
- 35%
- Two-year degree
- 23%
- Four-year degree
- 11%
- Master's degree
- 2%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.2%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Assembler · Assembly Riveter · Structures Mechanic · Sheet Metal Mechanic
- Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- Set, align, adjust, or synchronize aircraft armament or rigging or control system components to established tolerances or requirements, using sighting devices and hand tools.
- Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Join structural assemblies, such as wings, tails, or fuselage.
- Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.
- Position and align subassemblies in jigs or fixtures, using measuring instruments and following blueprint lines and index points.
- Cut, trim, file, bend, or smooth parts to ensure proper fit and clearance.
- Typical pay in California
- $65,092per year
- Projected openings
- 2,580
- Projected change
- -13.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: High school diploma — 46% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 16% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 16%
- High school diploma
- 46%
- Started college, no degree
- 21%
- Two-year degree
- 8%
- Four-year degree
- 7%
- Master's degree
- 1%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.3%
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
To meet the aerospace industrys demand for well-trained, certificated aircraft mechanics, the college offers an Aviation Maintenance Technician Associate Degree, an Airframe Maintenance Technician Certificate, and an Aircraft Power Plant Technician Certificate. Upon qualifying by written, oral, and practical examinations, students are issued Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates by the FAA. The Aircraft Maintenance program is a cohort sequenced program with classes starting every eight weeks, with full-time, evening schedules. Students seeking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification must grant the FAA permission to review their college transcripts for certification purposes..pon successful completion of this program, students will be able to... 1. To effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with a variety of personnel using proper terminology, records, and forms. 2. To be able to apply basic mathematics and graphic principles as used in aviation (aerospace). 3. To apply aerodynamic principals in the assembly, repair and maintenance of power plant and aircraft structures. 4. Apply basic electrical principals as it applies to electrical and mechanical components. The proper use of the multi-meter is now a FAA requirement. 5. To properly inspect, check, service, repair and overhaul airframe and airframe components. 6. The proper use of tools, equipment, safety apparel. The proper procedures for safety in and around aircraft and equipment. 7. Proper work ethics for independent and collectively working with management, co-workers, and the Federal Aviation Administration in order to maximize efficiency in the work place. 8. he student must review the information that will be required by the FAA to pass their required examinations for certification.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
West LA WorkSource Center/ AJCCComprehensive center
Phone: 310-309-6000
5446 Sepulveda BoulevardCulver City, CA 90230about 0.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
South Bay One Stop Business and Career Center - InglewoodComprehensive center
Phone: 424-419-4343 Ext: 7
110 South La Brea AvenueLa Brea Place Building, 5th FloorInglewood, CA 90301about 2.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Open every other Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
South Los Angeles - WorkSource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 562-445-3673
5343 Crenshaw BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90043about 3.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →