TSTC receives $149,000 grant for Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus recently received a $149,000 grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments to be used to support and sustain the next two cohorts of apprentices for the Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program.

The grant will be used to pay tuition for 22 apprentices and cover the cost of consumable supplies needed for the class. 

Marcus Balch, provost of TSTC’s North Texas campus, said he believes the program will improve.

“Having the additional funding will allow us to potentially do some additional professional development training with our instructor,” he said. “We’re going to be able to have the equipment that’s needed and all of the supplies that are needed, without having any questions as to where that is going to be coming from. By being able to sustain purchasing to make sure that we have what we need, (we’re) going to continue to elevate the quality of the student that comes through the program.”

The Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program is a paid apprenticeship program that trains apprentices to work as aerospace assembly mechanics. The program involves 12 weeks of training at TSTC’s North Texas campus, followed by 12 weeks of additional training at the Bombardier facility in Red Oak.

“It’s a great way for them to get their foot in the door with a great company … to get great skills and great hands-on training,” Adam Barber, TSTC’s executive director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education, said. “For somebody looking to restart or to just start a career, it’s a great opportunity.”

Barber emphasized that this is a program that requires no prior experience in the field.

“We will teach them everything they need to know from A to Z over that 12-week period, and then hopefully they’ll be ready to go onto the next step after that,” he said. “We’ve had folks that knew nothing about aviation or barely knew what a screwdriver was and turned out to be pretty good apprentices.”

The next cohort of apprentices will begin sometime in late fall. For more information about the apprentice program, contact Cheryl Brooks at cheryl.brooks@tstc.edu. 

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier is a global leader in aviation. Its products and

services provide world-class experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.