*Coronavirus/COVID-19 Update*

December 7, 2020

We’ve been (understandably) receiving many questions regarding the school class schedule, online training, and industry outlook.

Questions such as the following have been asked numerous times.

“I’ve been wanting to take the DL+5 (distance-learning) course for some time now. How are the classes being managed during this pandemic?”

“Would I be able to take the DL portion now, and schedule the residency in the future without knowing when the crisis is over?”

“What’s the job outlook for dispatchers?”

Below should help ease your concerns and answer your questions.

We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation daily. 


Class Schedules:
As of right now, we still plan to operate all scheduled future classes, unless a new mandate arises. The January 4, 2021 5-week class is still scheduled as well as the upcoming 3-week, 2-week, and 5-day classes that follow 2-4 months of online training, respectively. We will do our best to finalize any decisions at least 10-14 days before the scheduled start date. That includes potentially starting 5-week classes online for a short period of time before having everyone arrive here. We do not expect the latter to be needed. We expect all classes to operate normally, as they have been during all of 2020.


Class management & precautionary steps:
All of the normal and reasonable precautions are being taken in our offices and the classrooms. These include, but are not limited to, appropriate distancing between students in the classroom, taking disinfection measures, using hand sanitizer stations, and following rules about congregating/social distancing during breaks. We’ve used the same safety measures consistently and successfully during 2020 and will continue to use these procedures during 2021. Appropriate adjustments, including temporary distance learning with email assistance, may be utilized if they become necessary. (We strongly recommend to bring a mobile device such as a laptop or tablet.)


Future arriving students: 
We will also send out a set of procedures that all student must adhere to in order to prevent any health issues within our office and classrooms.


Distance Learning & postponed Phase 2 arrivals:
For students who have worked online or plan to work online, we still recommend attending Phase 2 (in classroom) as normally scheduled following your online training; however, we understand if you would prefer to postpone your arrival. We can be flexible. Generally, we prefer that the Phase 2 students arrive within a month of completing Phase 1 (online), but now we are extending that ‘preference’ to 3 months. There’s no hard rule on this right now, but we feel uneasy if there is a long pause between both phases, since it’s less likely that the student will be as proficient with the understanding of the material completed online. Therefore, if we feel the postponement is too lengthy, we may require some additional online work or reviews (at NO extra cost) that would need to be completed prior to your arrival. We can set this up on a case-by-case basis, and is simply designed to help you. Additionally, you should always have either access to Phase 1 while you wait or at least enough downloadable documents to help you review.


Industry outlook:
Being a 73-year institution we have seen a lot: recession cycles, 9/11’s effects on the industry, etc.. but one thing is for certain – there is always a rebound, and often a very strong rebound. And those students who prepare earlier rather than later tend to catch the hiring wave. Keep in mind that once obtained, the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher certificate does not expire. We offer free in-person and online refresher training to our graduates, job interview tips, resume help, and our own unlimited-use ADX test prep app, so graduates can prepare for their interviews.

Feel free to ask for updates at any time – it is never a bother. We shall do our utmost to assist you before, during, and after your stay at Sheffield School of Aeronautics. 

Example:

October 19, 2020
 
Dear Eric,
 
Hello, I just wanted to check in now that it has been a few months since being at Sheffield. I applied for the dispatcher position that you posted for National Airlines and found out last Thursday I got the job! I start November 2. I am so excited! Thank you for having such a great program that helped prepare me to be able to get such a great position at a great company. I appreciate everything you have done for me and am very excited for the future! 
 
Best regards,
 
M. Laughlin 
National Airlines

November 1, 2020 followup from National

Thank you for your feedback on the students. We are very happy to announce that 3 Sheffield students (2 with no prior dispatch experience) have successfully made the cut for the Aircraft Dispatcher position at National Airlines. 
 
They will start their Initial Dispatch training class in our Orlando HQ from tomorrow.  

(They are:)
M.L.
T.M.
B.L.
 
Warm regards to everyone at Sheffield. 
 
P.K. – (Assistant Director SOC/ National Airlines

Sheffield grads hiring Sheffield grads, which is why attending a 73-year institution is usually the best choice, during or not during trying times.

Best Regards,

Eric Morris
President
Sheffield School of Aeronautics (est. 1948) – www.sheffield.com

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    “As a graduate of the aircraft dispatcher program at the Sheffield School of Aeronautics…My training was intense and thorough and furnished me with the requisite skills for performing my current job as a Flight Dispatch Supervisor.” N.S. Sidebar NS
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    “While touring my company’s dispatch department before I had my license our OCC manager pointed out that 7 of the 10 dispatchers on shift had come from Sheffield. The overall consensus was that Sheffield grads were able to hit the ground running as they were better prepared.” K.O. Sidebar K.O.
    Good afternoon Eric, I wanted to reach out to let you know that training at (airline) is in full swing and I couldn’t be happier that I chose Sheffield. My classmates, while very smart, definitely had subpar training and that has been very evident. I have waited to write a full scale review of the […] Attending Sheffield School benefits airline new hires in preparation for airline training
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    “I am a month into my new job at a airline coming out of reorganization, and am helping the training department by referencing the excellent and up to date course book provided to all Sheffield grads.” RW RW
    “After receiving my certificate, I joined a class of 4 experienced dispatchers for Part 121 initial training. Without experience, my preparation at Sheffield enabled me to become active at the same time after the initial training.” PR PR
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