Textron Aviation starts youth apprenticeship program in Kansas

Textron Aviation has started a youth apprenticeship program in Kansas, which the Wichita-based company says is the first registered through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeships by an aviation company in the state. Students can join at 16 and receive paid, hands-on experience while finishing high school.

The program has three tracks: airframe and powerplant, avionics, and engine buildup. The first two are run with WSU Tech in Wichita, while the engine-buildup track is offered with Tri County Tech in Oklahoma and based at Textron Aviation's facility in Independence, Kansas.

Apprentices in the first groups started this fall. Depending on the track, a program can run as long as three years and combines classroom instruction with structured on-the-job training alongside company employees. Those who finish receive a credential through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeships, and participants in the airframe and powerplant track also earn their A&P certification.

"Youth apprenticeships are exactly the kind of opportunity we need more of," WSU Tech president Dr. Sheree Utash said in the announcement, adding that students earn while they learn and build a path into high-demand aviation careers.

The company has previously run state-registered apprenticeship programs in areas including maintenance, avionics, paint, CNC machining and tooling, with its first state-registered cohort beginning in 2023. The youth program is part of a wider effort to address demand for skilled workers.