A new training program based at a museum in Hawaii is preparing students for careers in aircraft maintenance, Hawaii News Now reports.

The program puts students to work in a hands-on learning environment, building the practical skills required to enter the aviation maintenance workforce. For participants, the museum setting offers direct contact with aircraft and hardware rather than classroom-only instruction.

The initiative arrives as airlines, MRO providers and operators across the industry continue to report difficulty filling maintenance technician roles. Programs that recruit students early and pair them with working aircraft have become one route operators and educators are using to widen the pipeline of certified mechanics.

Graduates of such pathways typically pursue certification as airframe and powerplant mechanics, the qualification required before technicians can sign off work on commercial aircraft in the United States.

Organizers expect the program to expand as additional students enroll and training capacity grows at the museum site.