Looking for a New Job? Free Training Offered for Aircraft Manufacturing & Machinists

Guilford Technical Community College has a big opportunity for job seekers. Thanks to a grant, there's free training in aircraft manufacturing and machining programs.

Honda Aircraft recently received a grant from the State of North Carolina to train individuals for possible employment as aircraft manufacturing technicians. The company is teaming up with Guilford Technical Community College and the Guilford County Workforce Development Board to create a training program for possible job candidates.

Joel Leonard is helping with the applicant screening process. He says Honda Aircraft is looking to fill around 40 positions.

“We need them to be able to handle high levels of intense math. We need them to be able to stand on their feet for a long period of time, we need them to be able to be reliable and dependable and so it's not easy to find  people with all those characteristics, so that is why we are really desperate to find a high volume of quality of people,” says Leonard.

The 14-week training program at GTCC is free for participants. The college says since fall 2006, enrollment in its aviation programs has increased from 150 students to 337 students in fall 2012. In February, GTCC broke ground on a new aviation center to meet the growing need for class space.

Leonard says another program will also provide free training for machinists. Overall, organizers are seeking more than 300 people to enroll in the programs. He says the starting wage for entry level positions is around $12.00 an hour.

Leonard says enrollment in the programs does not guarantee employment, but will provide people in the Piedmont Triad with some serious opportunities.

“We have an 85 percent placement rate in machining at GTCC and there are quite a bit of companies in the Triad that are hiring in mass. Deere Hitachi is going to hire more than 300 welders and machinists and Caterpillar is going to hire 100 people by next spring. O'Neal Steel is also hiring 20 people,” says Leonard.

Courses for the aviation and advanced machining training programs at GTCC will begin in August and September. For more information, call (336) 373-5922 operator 8, or apply at TriadJobLink.com.

The online application deadline is July 26.