The Road Between Mt. SAC and Unical Aviation is a Two-Way Street
The relationship between Mt. SAC and Unical Aviation has been going strong for several years, and it represents a new incarnation of philanthropy. The College's experience with corporate philanthropy has typically been more of a one way street. A business would donate to the non-profit, and that was that. Of course, the business benefited from a spirit of goodwill and perhaps a tax incentive, but the results were not always more tangible than that. What Mt. SAC and Unical are doing is creating a substantial benefit for both sides of the equation. Dominique Tan, Unical’s Chief Social Innovation Officer, refers to the company as a “relationship-based organization” and explains that “Unical is excited to continue responding to evolving needs of the students, workforce, and broader community.”
Unical is a family run company headquartered in City of Industry, CA. It consists of several arms which make up the larger business. Unical Aviation supplies aircraft parts and components to over 3500 customers around the world. Unical Defense is a military-focused business providing product support to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), as well as government and maintenance repair stations. Unical 145 provides the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of all aircraft parts, components, structures, and landing gear. Currently, a dozen Mt. SAC graduates work in this facility. Unical Aero is a U.S.-based engineering certification and manufacturing company of FAA-PMA/STC approved aircraft parts, components, and systems for commercial applications. Finally, the Unical MRO at San Bernardino International Airport makes an ideal location for parking and storing aircrafts.
The philanthropic relationship between Mt. SAC and Unical began in a traditional way, starting with scholarships in the business and aircraft maintenance programs. Then the company responded to “the growing need identified by Mt. SAC,” says Tan, and “began a fund to assist [future] mechanics to obtain their certificates.” Unical continues to provide scholarship support for Mt. SAC students, particularly for aircraft maintenance students to complete their degrees and take their licensing exams. For three years now, the company has sponsored scholarships totaling over $40,000.
J.R. Harrison, Aviation Maintenance Manager at Unical, attended Mt. SAC from 2011-13.
However, these scholarships are only a part of the total picture. A community college like Mt. SAC’s uniqueness is due in large part to the way it prepares its students for specific jobs, not merely careers in a field. Part of that commitment to preparedness is advisory panels for each vocational program. The College invited Unical employees to sit on these panels, and the relationship between the entities became deeper and more formalized. The advisory capacity allows Unical to contribute to each program’s development. It’s a win-win: they give input on curriculum, which means the courses and programs stay current, relevant, and tailored to the specific needs of the industry, and Mt. SAC grads (like J.R. Harrison) are easily employable. Thusly, there is a pool of desirable candidates for jobs at Unical and other aviation-related companies.
“We appreciate Mt. SAC’s commitment to make education accessible to the local community while providing a quality education. The quality education provides Unical with eager and hungry candidates who contribute a lot to their teams in the company. We also appreciate how responsive Mt. SAC is. As part of the advisory committee, we are able to influence content of the programs to meet our needs and anticipated trends in the industry,” says Tan. This "two way street" approach to relationship building is a model for the future as the College continues to strengthen its connections with corporate partners. Mt. SAC is grateful to Unical for its leadership and support.