Program Helps Alleviate Shortage Through an Accelerated Employment Path

FLUSHING, N.Y., May 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the shortage of air traffic controllers, Vaughn College was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 2025 to offer a training program for an accelerated air traffic controller employment pathway. Nine students enrolled in the two-semester program in fall 2025 and every student just completed the program with a 100% pass rate. This cohort represents a major milestone at Vaughn College and spotlights the collaborative partnership with the FAA.

Through the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) graduates are placed directly into FAA facilities for controller training (bypassing training time at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma). These students were required to pass a rigorous series of Vaughn requirements, the FAA's Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam and meet medical and security requirements.

"The Vaughn community is incredibly proud of all nine students who are now well educated and skilled to take positions as air traffic controllers with the Federal Aviation Administration," said Vaughn College President and CEO Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo. "The success of these students speaks to the investment that this institution was able to provide. We are so grateful to the faculty and staff who insured this exciting outcome—a life changing trajectory for every student."

Since 1997, Vaughn has offered basic air traffic controller training and graduates are employed throughout the region including LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Westchester airports and across the country in facilities such as Miami and Hawaii.

To provide this new accelerated pathway to employment, Vaughn's program underwent an extensive review by the FAA to demonstrate that it provides a high-level curriculum, taught by well-qualified, knowledgeable instructors who have held positions as air traffic controllers themselves, and utilizes advanced technology mirroring the training experience offered by the FAA.

"These students worked tirelessly using advanced high fidelity simulations systems under the close supervision of skilled instructors. The result was that they were able to pass their evaluations and are now poised to be assigned directly into tower facilities to begin their careers as controllers," said Vice President of Training Domenic Proscia. "We are proud of them and those who will follow in their footsteps as we continue to prepare the next generation of aviation professionals who will contribute to the safety and efficiency of our skies."

VAUGHN COLLEGE: Founded in 1932, Vaughn College is a private, nonprofit four-year college that enrolls more than 1,500 students in master's, bachelor's and associate degree programs in engineering, technology, management and aviation on its main campus in New York City and online. The student-faculty ratio of 16 to 1 ensures a highly personalized learning environment. Ninety-seven percent of Vaughn College graduates, 77 percent in their field of study, are employed in professional positions or choose to continue their education within one year of graduation. The institution serves many first-generation college students and is recognized by the US Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. In a study conducted by The Equality of Opportunity Project, and reported in The New York Times, Vaughn was ranked number one in upward mobility nationwide. For more information on Vaughn College visit http://www.vaughn.edu.

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SOURCE Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology