This research study explored the observations of aviation industry safety professionals, as they relate to the availability of a hiring pool of trained and prepared safety professionals from which to choose. When considering the issues in preparing graduates as career ready, and coupled with the ever changing nature of the aviation industry, this study was designed to examine postsecondary academic program graduates’ readiness in meeting the needs and requirements of safety program management within the aviation industry. Fifty-five participants were purposefully selected for interviews from safety professionals currently working in the aviation industry, to help examine the needs and requirements of the aviation industry safety programs, and voice their opinions on the readiness of graduates from postsecondary safety programs to help meet those requirements. The teaching of primarily theoretical high level information, instead of a student-centered constructivist approach, by postsecondary academic safety programs may result in a lack of preparedness of postsecondary graduates to be ready to serve in the aviation industry. Today’s top aviation universities teach curricula associated with flight training as well as academic courses in the area of aviation safety. The overarching intent of these programs need to meet the industry’s needs and requirements as they pertain to the safe movement of aircraft, ground equipment, and people
