WICHITA, Kansas — Textron Aviation’s Maintenance and Paint Apprenticeship programs have been recognized as state-registered apprenticeships through the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The two-year programs support the company’s long-term workforce plan and offer prospective and current employees opportunities to “try new fields, learn new skills, and stretch their abilities to build a lasting career,” according to company officials.
As employees, apprentices receive benefits and pay during on-the-job and classroom training. In a typical week, employees divide their time attending training at WSU Tech and working with mentors at Textron Aviation production facilities. The company also pays for all program-related tuition and fees, company officials noted.
The company continues to grow and enhance its collaborative “earn and learn opportunities,” including Airframe & Powerplant (A&P), Avionics, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining and Tooling programs.
For more information: TxtAv.com/Careers.
Paid apprenticeships, which have been the primary means for all career entry in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland for over four centuries, are way overdue in the US. My younger son apprenticed as an A&P for three years under an outstanding IA at a small GA airport in North Carolina. He then attended Baker’s school in Nashville for the exam prep course, and did well on it. After working at GA airports for a few years, he was hired by GE Aerospace in their big jet engine assembly facility in Durham NC. After building jet engines there for seven years, they made him lead on QA and certification issues. No college required to enter his career. He was paid to learn, was independent soon after high school, no debt for him or college costs for his proud parents. I founded the industrial apprenticeship program NCTAP.org in 2013 with Raleigh-area companies. It is aligned closely with the German and Swiss “Dual Education” systems which have worked well for 400+ years.