The first ten people from the two-year Bombardier Aerospace Apprenticeship Program (BAAP) have officially graduated, according to a company announcement on Thursday. All graduates of the program receive offers of full-time employment as aircraft assemblers or aerostructures apprentices at Bombardier’s Red Oak, Texas, facility where they will work on the Global 7500 business jet’s advanced smooth flex wing. BAAP was developed in partnership with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Red Oak.
“I am thrilled to celebrate the successful graduation of the women and men in the BAAP program who will now transition forward in new careers at Bombardier, helping to ramp up the development of Bombardier’s Global 7500 program,” said Paul Sislian, Bombardier executive vice president for operations and operational excellence. “The accomplishments of these talented individuals aptly underscore the importance of fueling the aerospace pipeline in our Red Oak facility, bringing world-class training opportunities and cementing Bombardier as a key pillar of the community.”
As previously reported by AVweb, BAAP, which launched in December 2019, received its U.S. Department of Labor accreditation in November 2020. The program provides practical and on-the-job training along with a classroom learning component covering topics such as an introduction to health, safety and quality best practices and aircraft drawing and specification comprehension. There are currently over 80 people enrolled in BAAP and Bombardier reports that it plans to recruit at least 50 more over the next two years.
