Apprenticeships Building a 21st Century Workforce

StandardAero Component Services is an original equipment manufacturer-aligned

provider of component repair and overhaul services for the commercial aviation and
land/marine gas turbine industries. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, StandardAeros
facility supports hundreds of customers from 6 continents by offering full tool design
and fabrication capabilities, extensive machining capabilities, and a comprehensive
suite of specialized processes including a variety of welding techniques, thermal
spray application, shot peening, brazing, heat treating, and non-destructive testing
techniques. They meet business demands by employing and training a highly-skilled
workforce. They were one of eight employers in the Cincinnati area who developed
and sponsored an accelerated manufacturing apprenticeship program. As the
apprenticeship program began to take shape, StandardAero identified a series of
candidates and ultimately enrolled incumbent worker Patrick Fohl.
Patrick was a 2009 graduate of Hamilton Badin High School and completed
automotive technician training by the end of his senior year. Although I was
employed in the automotive industry, Ive always had a strong desire to work in
manufacturing and aerospace specifically, says Fohl. He began his career at
StandardAero as a composite technician bench hand and jumped at the opportunity
to become a machinist through the manufacturing apprenticeship program.
The machine operator apprenticeship program consists of 2000 hours of customized
on-the-job training and 435 hours of related technical instruction delivered by
Cincinnati State Technical College. Apprentices receive employer sponsored
benefits, college credit, and nationally recognized industry certifications from the
National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS).
Patrick was placed under the mentorship of Rick Shelton and Doug Perdue, two
highly-skilled machinists with over 35 years and 25 years of experience,
respectively. I love the structure of this program combining on-the-job training
simultaneously with the related technical instruction, states Shelton. Patrick can
apply his education immediately which accelerates his learning and reduces time
spent in on-the-job training.
Senior Learning and Development Specialist Dwight Dinsmore knew that
StandardAero needed an effective strategy to ensure they had the highly skilled
workforce necessary in todays 21st century advanced manufacturing industry. We
are extremely pleased with the quality and results of this initiative and as business
continues to grow, we anticipate sponsoring more apprentices in the future, stated
Dinsmore.
This Story was written by Stephen Tucker, Director of Industry Partnership
Partners for a Competitive Workforce
stephen.tucker@uwgc.org
(513)762-3720
(513)371-3855
Dwight Dinsmore, Sr. Learning & Development Specialist
Standard Aero

(513)206-9472
dwight.dinsmore@standardaero.com

Apprentice Patrick Fohl and Rick Shelton