AvSales Talent and Texarkana College Launch Business Aviation’s First Credentialed Sales Career Pathway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2026
AvSales Talent and Texarkana College Launch Business Aviation’s First Credentialed Sales Career Pathway
Six-week certificate program creates the structured entry point the industry has lacked for sales professionals, with a multi-phase pathway from education through supervised experience to full-time placement.
TEXARKANA, TX — AvSales Talent and Texarkana College have announced the Aviation Professional Sales Certificate Program, the first institutionally credentialed training pathway dedicated to developing sales professionals for business aviation. The six-week foundational course launches March 23, 2026, establishing the first phase of a structured career pathway that extends from classroom education through supervised practicum experience to full-time placement with aviation companies.
Business aviation has built robust credentialing systems for pilots, maintenance technicians, and aviation management professionals. Sales, the function that drives revenue across jet brokerage, charter operations, MRO, FBO services, and aviation technology, has not had an equivalent career development infrastructure. Professionals entering aviation sales have historically relied on informal mentorship and on-the-job learning, a gap that limits workforce readiness and constrains growth for companies competing for experienced talent.
“Aviation has always invested in developing its technical workforce. This program extends that same commitment to the sales professionals who drive the commercial side of the industry,” said Tom Lelyo, AvSales Talent co-founder and NBAA 40 Under 40 honoree. “What we’ve built with Texarkana College is a legitimate credentialed starting point, a career pathway that gives new professionals the foundation they need and gives employers a pipeline of prepared talent.”
Program Structure and Career Pathway
The Aviation Professional Sales Certificate is Phase 1 of a three-phase career development pathway designed to mirror the structured progression that defines professional development in other aviation disciplines:
Phase 1: Educate. Students complete six weeks of foundational training covering high-net-worth client psychology, consultative sales methodology, deal structuring, and aviation business fluency. The curriculum addresses the specific competencies required to operate in complex, high-value sales environments across multiple aviation sectors.
Phase 2: Experience. Qualified graduates advance to supervised practicum placements with aviation companies, gaining real-world experience under structured mentorship while building the industry relationships and technical knowledge that distinguish effective aviation sales professionals.
Phase 3: Deploy. Candidates who complete the full pathway receive placement consideration with AvSales Talent’s partner firms across jet brokerage, charter operations, parts distribution, FBO services, and aviation media.
“This pathway is modeled on the same principles that define professional development across aviation: structured education, supervised experience, and progressive responsibility,” said Dustin Cordier, AvSales Talent co-founder, whose two decades leading sales organizations at Textron Aviation, Embraer, and JetNetSTAR Top-Rated brokerages informed the program’s curriculum design. “Aviation sales demands technical fluency, relationship sophistication, and execution discipline. The industry deserves a development pathway that treats those requirements with the same rigor we apply to every other credentialed role.”
Addressing the Talent Pipeline Gap
The program responds to a well-documented workforce development challenge facing business aviation. As the industry competes for next-generation professionals, companies across all sectors report difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified sales talent. The AvSales Talent and Texarkana College partnership creates an institutional framework for developing that talent, establishing a model that can be scaled across higher education and industry professional development platforms.
The program targets aspiring aviation professionals, career-changers with transferable sales experience, and university aviation graduates seeking a structured entry into commercial aviation roles. By connecting credentialed education with direct industry placement, the pathway addresses both sides of the talent equation: professionals who need a defined path into aviation sales, and companies that need access to a prepared workforce.
Program Details
Course Dates: March 23 – April 27, 2026
Format: Self-paced modules with weekly live instruction and individual coaching
Credential: Certificate of Completion from Texarkana College
Registration: https://cbe.texarkanacollege.edu/register/aviation-professional-sales-certificate-program/
About AvSales Talent
AvSales Talent builds the aviation industry’s sales workforce through structured training, professional development, and talent placement. Founded by sales leaders with combined decades of experience at Textron Aviation, Embraer, and top-rated brokerages, AvSales Talent operates at the intersection of aviation expertise and professional sales technology and methodology. The company partners with aviation businesses and educational institutions to create the career pathways that develop, deploy, and retain the next generation of aviation sales professionals.
About Texarkana College
Texarkana College is a public community college serving the Texarkana region with workforce-aligned certificate and degree programs. The college’s commitment to industry-responsive professional education makes it a natural partner for innovative workforce development initiatives.
Media Contact
AvSales Talent
tom@avsalestalent.com | 941-374-6884
