History

Careers in Aviation was founded in 2000, with the objective of inspiring, educating, and assisting America's youth in obtaining successful careers in the aviation/aerospace industry. The founders of Careers in Aviation, recognized that the industry responsible for 15% of the economic activity in the US, was about to experience a workforce crisis. According to the United States Congress, by 2008, more than one out of four aerospace workers will be eligible to retire.

During its early days, Careers in Aviation operated several promotional programs designed to educate and inspire youth about career opportunities in aviation. Careers in Aviation began with a flagship promotional program, which included a dynamic air show routine performed by 3 Czech L-39 Military Jets. The Careers in Aviation L-39 Demonstration Team educated students about the wide-range of career opportunities available in the aviation industry. In addition to the military jets, Careers in Aviation developed a series of educational videos highlighted major career fields in the aviation/aerospace industry.

As the organization's capabilities grew, Careers in Aviation started the DreamLaunch Tour in 2004. The DreamLaunch Tour is a national 20 city tour, which exposes students to a wide-range of career opportunities, aviation youth programs, and scholarship programs available in the industry. To date, the program has visited over 85 Markets, 160 Schools, and 65,000 students. In 2006, Careers in Aviation decided to refocus its resources to assisting young people in achieving their dreams in aviation. The program redesigned its communication outlets, and started a comprehensive scholarship portal.