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East Central and Spirit Aerosystems announce partnership to advance career-readiness.
East Central High School and Spirit AeroSystems have announced a new partnership that focuses on helping students develop career-ready skills and creating post-secondary career opportunities for East Central High School graduates. The cornerstone of the new partnership includes a six-week paid manufacturing program for East Central students ages 18-19. The internships will begin in June 2018.
Attracting and retaining a skilled workforce is a critical challenge facing employers in Tulsa, particularly in high-demand industries like aerospace and advanced manufacturing. This program is designed to help develop our local students to fill the gap. "We are thrilled to provide opportunities for students to begin exploring career pathways." said Spirit Human Resources and EHS Director Martha Webb-Jones. "Our goal is to foster innovation, increase student success, and put young people on a positive career path."
Spirit assembly mechanic Ben Harvey developed the idea for the partnership that will offer as many as 15 students the opportunity to learn about the tools and processes used in aviation manufacturing while providing mentoring opportunities and hands-on training. Upon successful completion of the program, and after earning their diplomas, students can apply for available positions with Spirit.
Paired with relevant coursework, the program will give students a head start on their careers and enter the workforce and college better equipped to succeed.
"Our students need to be prepared for jobs in today's workforce and the workforce of the future - this means that they need additional educational experiences beyond a high school diploma," said East Central Principal Mike Crase. "We're so grateful to Spirit AeroSystems for creating these opportunities for post-secondary success for our students."
Representatives from Spirit AeroSystems visited East Central High School on May 2 to announce the program launch and present a check in the amount of $2500 to the school. The donation was given by Spirit AeroSystems corporate headquarters (located in Wichita, KS) to the Tulsa location in recognition of most improved safety performance company-wide.
Spirit AeroSystems operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core products include fuselages, wing components and other key aircraft parts. For more information on Spirit AeroSystems, visit www.spiritaero.com.