When she was growing up, Glynis Lambeth knew she wanted to work with aircraft.
Because her dad was in the Air Force, Lambeth was always around planes and helicopters, and she was fascinated with how they worked.
“I got the opportunity to fly airplanes … and just experience all the different types of aviation and how it helps support our community and our military,” Lambeth told The Dispatch. “And I just fell in love.”
When she heard about a new program geared toward providing a career path in aviation manufacturing at East Mississippi Community College’s Communiversity through a partnership with Airbus, she jumped at the chance to apply, she said.
Lambeth was one of nine students in the inaugural class of the Aviation Manufacturing Technology program to graduate Friday after completing a 10-week course at the Communiversity. With their classroom training complete, the students will start their hands-on training at Airbus in Columbus on Monday.
The training program, called FlightPath9, is modeled after one of the same name created by Flight Works Alabama and Airbus in 2019 to prepare students for employment at its Mobile manufacturing facility.
More than 300 students have become full-time employees at Airbus since the program was created, said Flight Works Alabama Project Director Robin Fenton at the ceremony Friday.
Students taking the program at the Communiversity earned between 15 and 18 certifications to prepare for work with Airbus, Fenton said.
“It’s going to create awareness of the terminology, the tools (that are) being used as well and the applications for manufacturing the helicopters,” she said. “So when they get over there they’re ready for the rest of their training.”
“They are full-time employees day one with full benefits, all of the insurance and vacation accrual they get everything from day one,” FlightPath9 Program Director Kellie Andrews said. “And then 24 months later, that’s when they will finish the apprenticeship program and go into… whatever Airbus finds that they are qualified and do well in.”
The program is the first full aviation manufacturing program that the Communiversity has offered, Workforce Business Outreach and Training Manager and program instructor Ray Hollis said.
“We’ve done components of it … but this is more comprehensive where we added all those skills into one,” Hollis said. “So we’re going to expand on this and see where we go with this type of training.”
Hollis said students were trained in several skills, including mechanical and electronic torque and structural sheetmetal assembly.
“They’ve got the skillset now … and they’re going to expand on that skillset,” Hollis said. “Once they go to the company they’re not through (with) training … but being able to get these skills, basic manufacturing skills needed in these different areas, is critical to success.”
Graduate Tyler Elliott said he’s excited to start his internship with his fellow classmates, who have become very close friends.
“All of us have been talking about it, and we’re stoked to have this group of friends going into a big job like this,” Elliott told The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
