A new aviation training partnership is taking shape in Southern Indiana.

Vincennes University, the Prosser Career Education Center, and the Clark County Regional Airport are launching what’s called the Southern Indiana Aviation Initiative. The program is designed to train future pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians and help address workforce shortages in the aviation industry.

Plans include building a Southern Indiana Aviation Technology Center at the Clark County Regional Airport in Sellersburg. The facility would offer flight training and aviation maintenance programs, starting with high school students from Prosser.

Students would be able to choose either a flight or maintenance pathway and earn dual college credit through Vincennes University while still in high school. The credits would apply toward a VU certificate or associate degree.

The program is also expected to expand to adult learners, with degree options that could be completed in about two years.

Project leaders say the aviation industry faces long-term shortages of pilots and technicians, both nationally and globally.

Funding for the project includes private foundation support and a 6.5-million-dollar investment from the State of Indiana. The training center is expected to open during the 2027–28 academic year.