WICHITA — Textron Aviation is bolstering its efforts to build the next generation of its workforce as the first aviation company in Kansas to offer state-registered youth apprenticeships through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeships.
The new program expands career opportunities for high school students beginning at age 16 by providing paid, hands-on learning experiences that develop industry knowledge and career-ready skills while they complete their education, according to company officials.
Textron Aviation is launching three state-registered youth apprenticeship programs:
- Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) in collaboration with WSU Tech in Wichita
- Avionics in collaboration with WSU Tech
- Engine Buildup in collaboration with Tri County Tech based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with the apprenticeship based in Independence, Kansas
Each program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training at Textron Aviation facilities. Upon completion, apprentices earn a credential through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeships. A&P apprentices also earn their Airframe & Powerplant certification.
The first apprentices began this fall, with apprenticeships spanning up to three years.
“The youth apprenticeship program is about opening the door earlier for students who can see themselves building a future in aviation,” said Maggie Topping, senior vice president, Human Resources and Communications. “By working with our education and workforce partners, we’re helping students gain meaningful experience, build confidence, and develop the skills our industry needs for the future.”
“Youth apprenticeships are exactly the kind of opportunity we need more of,” said Dr. Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech. “Students are gaining real skills, earning while they learn, and building a direct path into high-demand aviation careers. That is good for students, good for industry, and good for Kansas.”
For more information: TxtAv.com/Careers/Apprenticeships
Starting these at 16 is smart, and pairing the state credential with the A&P gives a young mechanic something that travels, since the A&P is an FAA certificate and good in every state. We run a job board for traveling trades workers, and we see the same thing in electrical and pipe work: the young hands who finish an apprenticeship with a card that travels start getting offers from all over pretty quickly. The one thing nobody teaches them is how to handle that first offer. A 19-year-old with a fresh A&P is usually worth more than they think, so it pays to know what a newly certified mechanic should ask for before the first offer comes in.