Airbus Adds First Flightpath9 Graduates

The first graduates of the new FlightPath9 training program (Aerospace Exhibition, Education Center Opens) joined the Airbus workforce in Mobile this month, the company announced. Designed as a nine-month program for high school seniors, COVID-19 forced it from in-person to virtual and extended its length by nearly 100%. However, 17 graduates succeeded, then received additional training in the Airbus Fast Track program to prepare them for an aerospace career without a college degree or prior experience. Airbus is reviewing the current impacts of COVID-19 in assessing the timeline for the next class, when the company “can safely complete the training and ensure that we can complete the recruitment of the graduates,” a spokesperson said. The program was created by nonprofit Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley-based Flight Works Alabama, along with partners from Airbus, the State of Alabama, Alabama Industrial Development Training/Alabama Department of Commerce, the Southwest Alabama Partnership for Training and Employment, Snap-on, Cintas and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.