TUCSON, Arizona—MHI RJ Aviation (MHIRJ) has had considerable success developing sheet metal structures technicians in West Virginia through its MHIRJ Academy, launched in 2024. Now, the program has made its way to the company’s service center in Tucson, and MHIRJ expects to produce 30 new structures employees by early 2027.
MHIRJ Tucson began classes for its first cohort of 15 students on Aug. 24. They will undergo 11 weeks of paid sheet metal structures training that includes hands-on projects and a combination of classroom and hangar floor training under the mentorship of experienced technicians “so they don’t become fatigued always sitting in a classroom doing the same thing over and over again,” says Amanda Grizzard, director of operations and site lead at MHIRJ’s Tucson Service Center.
“The future of aviation maintenance depends on expanding access to training and creating clear pathways into the industry,” says Andrew Curtis, MHIRJ’s service center network training manager. “Our academy provides individuals with no prior aviation background the opportunity to develop high-demand structural repair skills and begin a career in aerospace.”
Tucson is reaping the benefits of MHIRJ Academy’s success at the company’s Bridgeport, West Virginia, Service Center. The program initially advertised on social media and via word of mouth, generating interest from nearly 400 applicants by the time it graduated its first cohort of students in June 2024. Since its launch, the academy in Bridgeport has graduated nearly 70 qualified structures technicians. Another 15 are currently enrolled.
On the day of the program’s first graduation ceremony, Ismail Mokabel, president and chief operating officer at MHIRJ, told Aviation Week that the program’s high retention and engagement could be attributed largely to the local recruiting model, since participants were seeking ways to build new careers locally.
“The [students] who came here used to be car mechanics or were working in a hardware store, and within eight weeks, they’re actually doing very complex sheet metal projects that are aviation-grade,” Mokabel says. “Fast-forward five years, and I truly believe this will be the center for creating sheet metal technicians in the U.S.”
Tucson’s Structure Technician Training Program also had high interest from the beginning, with more than 100 applicants as of early June, when Aviation Week visited the facility.
MHIRJ intends to run a second cohort of the program in Tucson in early 2027.
Related Content
