Press Releases

Johnson Announces $500,000 Grant for Southern University at Shreveport to Spur Aviation Jobs

WASHINGTON, January 12, 2022 — United States Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04) today announced that Southern University at Shreveport received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to generate interest in and prepare students to pursue aviation maintenance careers.

“It’s imperative that we have a dynamic workforce available to meet the demands of our rapidly evolving economy,” Johnson said. “Southern University will be a great steward of this award—the largest grant offered by the FAA—and I’m grateful that the agency is investing in the young people of north Louisiana.”

Background: In 2018, Congress identified and addressed a projected shortage of aviation maintenance technical workers by providing the FAA with authority to distribute grants to educational institutions across the country, aimed at setting students on a career path in the aviation industry.