As the executive director of Mentoring Mission and Project AMPLiFI, Carol Valentino-Barry is working with high school students across the U.S. to prepare them for careers in the MRO industry. She launched Project AMPLiFI in Southern Illinois to provide better resources for the region’s young people and its growing aviation sector. Valentino-Barry spoke with Aviation Week about the lessons she’s learned so far and how industry professionals can help drive progress on the workforce pipeline and mentorship.

Southern Illinois may not traditionally be considered an aviation or MRO hub. What has driven demand for aviation maintenance workforce development there, and what are its unique regional challenges?

Southern Illinois isn’t a traditional center for aviation maintenance, but there’s real momentum building. The Southern Illinois Airport, Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, and nearby businesses like Crucial MRO, Arch Medical Aviation, and Midwest Aviation are generating steady demand for skilled labor. But that workforce can’t grow without exposure, and that’s the challenge. The region is remote, and students often have limited access to aviation careers. Transportation barriers, limited school resources, and a lack of visible role models make it difficult for young people to see these jobs as realistic options.

That’s exactly why we launched Project AMPLiFI: to bring high-quality, FAA-aligned aviation maintenance training directly to high school students. We hold classes after school, at the airport, with real tools and working professionals. It’s not about turning Southern Illinois into a national hub. It’s about giving overlooked students in underserved places a real pathway into an industry that needs them.