News

First class of worker helpers a success, new class of trainees now underway

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The first year on the job has been an unforgettable experience for F-15 aircraft mechanic DeWitt Paschal.

Don't bother bringing up his age either, since the 62-year-old former race car builder is known around the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as the seasoned veteran who can teach a thing or two to younger trainees.

"Mechanics are mechanics," Paschal explained. "I'm just working on an airplane instead of a race car. It's just awesome - I feel like a kid in a candy shop."

Paschal is part of the 402nd Maintenance Wing Wage Grade Helper Formal Training Program, created in early 2010 to address the projected Robins shortage of about 800 aircraft mechanics and sheet metal workers.

One of 204 initially hired last year, by late 2012 Paschal will have undergone an intensive two-year program consisting of valuable classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

The program's success is due to the dedication of many at Robins, including a team of 15 work leaders or supervisors who work closely with student trainees to ensure class teaching is re-emphasized at the job site.

Darrell Welch, training specialist program manager for the wing, said the program has been well received in the maintenance arena and in production.

He pointed out the importance early in the program of pairing trainees with good work leaders. "When you hire an employee, he's going to end up looking just like the employee you put him with," he said. "For example, put him with the best mechanic you have, and he's going to turn out to be a pretty good mechanic."

Scott Brady, an F-15 work leader with the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, currently trains 10 students with varying degrees of experience. He agreed that the program's early challenges were well worth the rewards.

"I enjoy their eagerness," said Brady, who has been at Robins for 11 years. "It's a great opportunity for them to get aviation experience they didn't have.

"It's unbelievable how well it's going now," he continued, "I firmly believe this is exactly the direction Warner Robins needs to be going. We need to spend time on training. We need to show that we're trying to make a better work force and a better product for our customers."

In the beginning, the idea of getting the program up and running proved challenging.

For example, within a three-month period in 2010, courses were developed by instructors at Robins Maintenance University, and candidates were sought who possessed industrial, production machinery, automotive or other metal-related experience, or those graduates of vo-tech schools who did not have aircraft experience.

The candidates were hired throughout the spring and summer to undergo the first year of the two-year program. The first group began working full time in May and August of 2010.

"Robins is critical to the economy of Middle Georgia," said Marty Tucker, who was the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group deputy director at the time. "Over the past couple of years, the AMXG has hired 400-plus technicians with a minimum of one year hands-on aircraft experience.

"As several supervisors have said, these are some of the best and brightest mechanics we have today," he added. "They are eager to learn and strive daily to improve their technical skills, ultimately ensuring Robins' success in the future."

A total of 181 students are on track to finish their first year.

Trainees begin at the WG-5 level. Once each becomes proficient in his or her respective aircraft work areas, and completes the required classes and final evaluation, they are promoted to WG-8. After another year of formal classroom training and on-the-job training, they are promoted to WG-10 and become journeyman mechanics.

To date, 90 percent of trainees have reached their promotion due date and have begun working on the next cycle of training requirements. The trainees have already invested 17,672 training hours in their aircraft sheet metal and maintenance instruction.

As the program grows, Robins recently hired 135 candidates who will undergo training during the next two years in aircraft maintenance as well as commodities.