MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (WSIL) -- SIU-Carbondale's School of Aviation is getting a big boost from a new partnership with one of the nation's largest airlines.
On Tuesday, SIUC Chancellor Austin Lane signed off on a partnership that brings United Airlines' Aviate program to Southern Illinois Airport.
Aviate is a career development program that can potentially open the door to future jobs with United, according to the aviation school's interim director and professor Jose Ruiz.
"[It] will leave many of our students to being offered, conditionally, a position with United Airlines, which is tremendous," Ruiz said.
SIU system president Dan Mahony says the accelerated program is a win-win for students and United Airlines.
"Students will have a direct connection to United flight deck and United will have greater access to our graduates really from one of the nation's premier aviation programs in the country," Mahony said.
As part of the program, students will get to work with United pilots, some of whom are SIU alums. Those students will get to work as co-pilots as they work on getting 1,500 flying hours.
One of those pilots is captain David Bertellotti, a 28-year veteran in commercial flying and an ex-Flying Saluki who graduated in 1990.
"That pathway is to make a little bit easier a little bit more predictable for students that want to get into the field as a career," Bertellotti said.
Meanwhile, the Aviate program aims to boost United's pilot roster. So far in 2022, the company has hired 1,600 pilots and is on pace to meet its goal of hiring 10,000 pilots by 2030.
Rhett Jones, a freshman from Ava, Illinois, had dreams of flying a cropduster or helicopter when he gets his license. But now that United and SIU are teaming up, Jones' options are much wider.
"That's giving me more opportunities to possibly get a better job than what I'm thinking I'm going to get," Jones said. "I didn't know that they were getting a big partnership like this going.
"It's opening the doors a little bit."
Students can start applying for the Aviate program now. Those students are required to complete at least two semesters before going into the program.