Documentary filmed in Chicago aims to highlight more women seeking careers in aviation industry

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The demand for aviation technicians continues to rise across the region, but women represent less than 3% of the workforce.

A new documentary shot in Chicago aims to highlight how more women are seeking careers in the industry.

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Getting aircraft in the sky requires a skilled workforce on the ground.

The Aviation Institute of Maintenance, or AIM, in McKinley Park gives students hands-on training in servicing a range of aircraft systems.

Rebecca Wilson went through the two-year program and wants to be a line maintenance worker at a major airline.

"I took a leap of faith. I knew nothing of what this field would entail until I went here. And I was like, 'wow, this wasn't as hard as I thought it was,'" Wilson said.

Adela Spezzia also completed a program at AIM and now works as an electronic technician, building equipment for the military.

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"When I first started, I was the only female student in class. And then when I graduated, I learned that there weren't a lot of females in the industry," Spezzia said.

Wilson and Spezzia are featured in a new documentary called "Airworthy," directed by Maria Peek.

Their stories highlight the gender disparity in the industry.

"I like to make films that move the needle on certain social issues, and this issue is so important," Peek said.

Peek says the film puts a spotlight on a broader shift happening in the aviation industry, with more women seeking opportunities that were once seen as off-limits.

"It also provides women an alternative to a four-year college. If they are mechanically inclined, I think it provides awareness of a career that maybe people didn't even look into," Peek said.

Peek shot part of the documentary at AIM, and says she hopes it sends a message to young women that there's a place for them in the cockpit, the hangar and the maintenance bay.

At AIM, they are seeing more and more women enroll in classes. It's coinciding with the trend of younger generations, embracing the trades.