Bombardier has joined the U.S. Department of Defense's SkillBridge program, which helps military service members navigate the transition between active duty and the beginning of their civilian careers with training, apprenticeships, or internships at authorized employers. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense granted the Canadian business aircraft maker an official memorandum of understanding to develop SkillBridge training programs for branches of the U.S. military.
As a SkillBridge industry partner, Bombardier will offer 60- to 90-day in-person job training programs for all eligible service members. They will include employment skills programs at Bombardier service centers in Wichita; Dallas; Tucson, Arizona; Hartford, Connecticut; and Miami, according to Bombardier v-p of customer support Anthony Cox.
“We are actively recruiting A&P mechanics at all our U.S. sites and look forward to adding SkillBridge trainees to our network of qualified professionals,” said Cynthia Giguère, Bombardier's senior director of workforce planning and talent acquisition.
Bombardier has steadily expanded its footprint in the U.S. In April 2022, the Montreal-based group designated its Wichita site as its new U.S. headquarters and launched Bombardier Defense as part of its existing specialized aircraft division.