Vaughn College is excited to announce the expansion of its partnership with JetBlue to include Gateway University-Tech Ops. This program provides Vaughn aviation maintenance students a direct route to a career at JetBlue as an aircraft maintenance technician (AMT), similar to the University Gateway Pilot Pathway Program that is currently offered to flight students since its inception in 2021. 

Direct Pathway to Careers

While existing technical operations gateway programs have been available for current JetBlue crew members, this is the first time the airline is opening a clear, hands-on pathway for external aviation maintenance students, Vaughn being one of two institutions that JetBlue has chosen to launch the program with. Vaughn students will now be able to train within a program shaped by JetBlue’s own operational standards, gain real-world experience aligned with the airline’s technology and safety practices, thus seamlessly transitioning into technician roles upon program completion. 

College Partnerships Help Meet the Increasing Demand for AMTs

Gateway University-Tech Ops expands opportunities for students while also strengthening the aviation maintenance workforce, which currently has a rapidly growing demand for skilled technicians. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is projected to grow five percent from 2024-2034, which is faster than average for all occupations. Shedding even more positive light from Lightcast Data, there are currently 19,803 job openings nationally for aircraft mechanics and service technicians—with 904 openings needing to be filled within a 100-mile radius of Queens. Boeing forecasts a global need for 710,000 new maintenance technicians over the next 20 years (from 2025 to 2044). This projection includes 123,000 technicians for North America over that timeframe.

Requirements and Eligibility

Gateway University-Tech Ops allows students enrolled in Vaughn’s aviation maintenance program under its Aviation Training Institute earning their airframe and powerplant (A&P) certification to receive a conditional job offer for a position as an AMT at JetBlue. In the fall of 2025, the airline began accepting its first candidates into the program, and its inaugural graduates are expected to join JetBlue Tech Ops team by 2026.

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

• Must be enrolled as a student at a partner school—like Vaughn College
• Must have completed all General Module courses in their program
• Must have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in their AMT courses. (General education courses like math and English do not count toward this.)
  • This 3.0 GPA must be maintained throughout their time in the program, and will be reverified prior to onboarding at JetBlue

Selection Process

The selection process will be administered/completed during the initial selection period, and students must be successful with all selection items before being awarded a conditional job offer for a position as a maintenance technician at JetBlue.

• Application
• Completion of online assessment
• Completion of skills test
• One faculty letter of recommendation upon acceptance into the program
• Applicants will be required to submit a second letter of recommendation upon completion of the program prior to onboarding at JetBlue

Selected Candidates

• The candidate will receive a conditional job offer (CJO) and must sign a letter of agreement stating that they understand the conditions and stipulations of the job offer.
• The candidate will be assigned a mentor for the duration of the program and must maintain continued communication with the gateway team as their main point of contact.
• Once the student has completed the program and achieved the qualifications necessary to become a JetBlue AMT, the candidate must complete pre-employment testing, background check and verification of the airframe and powerplant certificates. Once completed successfully, the candidate will be given a class date to begin new hire training as an AMT.
• The candidate must complete the Gateway program within three years of receiving their CJO.

Minimum Requirements for Maintenance Technician Position

• High school diploma or GED
• Must be able to obtain a U.S. passport or a U.S. permanent resident card with a foreign passport and applicable visas to freely enter and exit without restrictions to all JetBlue destinations.
• Upon completion of the gateway program, students must have the ability to meet all requirements included in the technician maintenance requisition.

Step into Your Future as an AMT Today

Take your training as an AMT to the next level with one of the nation’s leading airlines. Learn more about Vaughn’s Aviation Training Institute and begin your A&P certification training today!