Center for Workforce Innovation Trains the Next Generation of Aircraft Assemblers

By Carmelo Turdo

The Center for Workforce Innovation provides customized technical training courses that best serve the practical needs of manufacturers and industrial services providers. One of the original offerings, the Boeing Pre-employment Training Program, has been a pathway to employment in aircraft manufacturing for nearly fourteen years. Training remains free of cost to those accepted into the program, and those who complete the course are offered an employment interview with the Boeing Company. Over 900 trainees have joined their workforce over the life of the program.

The Aero Experience visited the Center for Workforce Innovation on Monday to get an update on the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program. In light of the current economic conditions and the ripple effects of delays in manufacturing both military and commercial aircraft, the recent classes have had a reduction in the number of trainees and there will be a pause in training for several months before the next class is scheduled. The standards for completing the training successfully remain high, ensuring that graduates of the course are prepared to perform to Boeing's exacting standards after a short orientation by the company.

David Miller, a Boeing Company retiree and the current Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program Manager, provided an in-depth briefing on the course requirements. The five week (208 hours) Sheet Metal Assembler & Riveter course provides class instruction and practical work advancing to cumulatively more difficult levels under strict time constraints that conform to the production standards required by Boeing. Tools, materials and illustrated instructions are provided for each session. Practical exam projects must be passed before the trainee can progress, and no second chances are offered to re-apply for the program.

The projects increase in complexity as the course continues, requiring the correct use of various fasteners in precisely drilled patterns. Later projects involve attaching nut plates and riveting right angle structures, culminating in the construction of the complex, pre-formed fixture shown at the end of this sequence.

The Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program website gives more details on the program requirements and the application process. The Aero Experience thanks everyone at the Center for Workforce Innovation for inviting us to visit their facility.