The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) was recognized for four decades of accredited status by the Council on Occupational Education (COE) during the council's annual meeting in San Antonio Nov. 2.

CNATT Learning Standards Officer (LSO) Dr. Anthony Catanese accepted the recognition on behalf of the command during the meeting, something he said is representative of the strides the U.S. Navy's aviation technical training has taken in ensuring quality education for the thousands of students at CNATT learning sites annually.

"For CNATT, COE accreditation has ensured that our outstanding Sailors and Marines who are proudly serving our country are on par with other learning organizations, within and outside the military," he said.

CNATT, which initially became accredited with the COE in 1976, has undergone self-studies and subsequent site visits every six years to maintain its accreditation.

"Successful completion of the accreditation process by CNATT and our 27 learning sites throughout the United States and Japan signifies that personal and professional skills development in the Navy and Marine Corps are soundly designed, delivered, and measured," CNATT Accreditation Liaison Officer Randall Getchell said. "Sailors and Marines are provided the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to attain higher levels of professionalism and technical expertise."

COE, originally founded in 1971 as a regional accrediting agency of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, is the successor to the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions (COEI). In 1995, the Council became a national accrediting agency. The council's accreditation process is conducted on behalf of more than 360,000 students across the nation pursuing careers in a variety of technical fields.

The award of accreditation is based on an evaluation to demonstrate the institution meets not only the standards of quality of the council, but also the needs of students, the community, and employers.

The evaluation process includes an extensive self-study by the institution, and an intensive review by a visiting team of professional educators representing the COE member institutions from other states.

Getchell also said CNATT's 40-year relationship with the COE is helping ensure service members entering its doors are prepared for duty stations throughout the world.

"The young men and women who are learning in the classrooms we have -- whether its maintenance administration, aviation power plants, or aviation electronics, to name a few -- are receiving an education which has been vetted and tested among the best in the world," he said. "We are putting out the best aviation maintenance courses, and producing the best aviation maintainers."

CNATT is the technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise, an organization designed to advance and sustain naval aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost, and is the largest training center under the Naval Education and Training Command.

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