Young School offers courses at Delta Air Lines
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

up, up and away:

Jim Kelly has worked for Delta Air Lines for the past 25 years. But he knows he has a lot more to learn about the industry he's served for nearly half his life.

"Our program obviously advances Delta's interest in Delta University -- to educate employees and make them more valuable to the airline." - Prof. Rick Charles

Taking courses in civil aviation and airline management "really fills in the voids that I had prior to the classes, and makes some of the things that are happening in the aviation industry more understandable," Kelly said.

Kelly, a technical analyst in Delta's engineering department, was one of 44 airline employees who applied for enrollment in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies' first on-site courses in the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies' aviation and transportation specialization. Classes are being offered this fall exclusively to Delta workers at the company's headquarters near Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.

The classes cover issues such as growing air travel demands, the political and social constraints on airport expansion and the effects of deregulation on the industry.

The Georgia State course offerings are part of Delta's strategy to encourage its workers to continue educating themselves, said Bill Kline, Delta's chief learning officer. Known as "Delta University," the program also includes increased tuition reimbursement and technical training.

"Our program obviously advances Delta's interest in Delta University - to educate employees and make them more valuable to the airline," said instructor Rick Charles, who coordinates the Young School's aviation classes. The courses count toward a bachelor of science degree in urban policy studies.

"The on-site program also advances the Young School's goals, such as extending our reach into the Atlanta community and partnering with businesses," Charles said.

For student Bill Winfrey, who oversees the handling of baggage- and cargo-related litigation at Delta, the courses represent "an opportunity to stimulate some aging brain cells" two nights a week.

"I had thought about going back to school from time to time, but to be honest, one of the barriers was the whole prospect of having to drive to downtown Atlanta, or north Atlanta, after work," Winfrey said. "This has just made it so easy…I look forward to class each night."

Delta sales representative Karen Payne decided to take the Georgia State courses after being out of school for three decades. The on-site courses allowed her to bypass the hustle and bustle of campus life.

"Contrary to what I was doing 30 years ago, I'm more focused now," she said. "(On-site classes) mattered to me on a comfort level."

Photo above: EMPLOYEE EDUCATION: Aviation instructor Rick Charles (right) discusses course material with student Elizabeth Boothe, a coordinator in Delta's customer portfolio department, during class at the company's headquarters near Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. The Young School began offering its first on-site courses for Delta employees this fall.