October 19, 2004

Aviation career fair set for Friday, Oct. 22

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Opportunities in the nation's airline industry are plentiful, even if the face of the airline industry has changed slightly in the last five years.

About 30 aviation-related firms will be Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Friday, Oct. 22, for the 2004 "Aviation in the Future" Career Fair. The fair, now in its 10th year, features aviation-related companies from throughout the United States - not only those directly involved in airlines, but also in aviation management and aviation technology.

The career fair is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Student Center Ballrooms A, B and C. That evening, Steven J. Brown, senior vice president of operations for the National Business Aviation Association, delivers the keynote address at 7 p.m. in Ballroom D.

The career fair is not just applicable for students in aviation-related programs, but firms also are interested in students who major in such fields as business, speech communication and engineering, said David A. NewMyer, chair of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight.

"This is the first year where we have five regional airlines," said NewMyer. "There is still a job market. The job market has changed from the big airlines to the medium carriers and regional carriers. The complexion has changed, but the number of employers at the career expo has rebounded to pre-9/11 numbers."

Among the companies participating this year are SkyWest Airlines, Chicago Express Airlines, jetBlue Airways, ATA, American Eagle Airlines, and St. Louis-based Boeing Corp.

Boeing is "one of our best employee partners" with about 800 SIUC graduates, NewMyer noted.

One new company this year is Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. The Savannah, Ga.-based firm is one of the largest makers of private jets in the world.

Brown, the keynote speaker at the evening banquet, is the former vice president for operations at the Federal Aviation Administration. Brown's speech should provide insight into aviation issues in Washington, D.C, and provide dual viewpoints of governmental policies and the needs of the aviation industry, NewMyer said. Tickets for the dinner are $30 for adults and $15 for SIUC students.

For more information, contact NewMyer at 618/453-8898.

Shaping high-quality undergraduate programs is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.