TEXTRON AVIATION EMPLOYEE NAMED BEST AIRCRAFT MECHANIC APPRENTICE IN NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA, GERMANY

According to Martin Jäger, training manager at Textron Aviation’s Düsseldorf Service Center, creating a successful apprenticeship is a team job. “In Germany there’s a saying: You need a whole village to raise kids.” Martin continues, “if you replace the word kids with apprentices, it is a good description of Textron Aviation’s apprenticeship program.” He added, “it depends on the trainee’s willingness to learn, the team in the hangar giving special aircraft type knowledge, a good work environment and a supportive instructor.”

This is particularly the case at the Düsseldorf Service Center, where employee Sofian Rajah is based. Sofian was recently named "Best Aircraft Mechanic Apprentice" in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At a special ceremony, Sofian was honored by the state president of the Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding marks during his apprenticeship program.

Sofian joined the Textron Aviation apprenticeship program in July 2019, and his ability to provide best-in-class maintenance and customer support led to a permanent role with the company in July 2022.

"Working at Textron Aviation allows me to learn something new every day, building my expertise on the wide variety of aircraft types we service," said Sofian.

Sofian's apprenticeship included a mix of theoretical and practical training, offering him a wide range of learning opportunities. He learned about composite materials, aircraft systems and assembling and disassembling aircraft parts, all while preparing for the intensive exam.

The broad experiences provided at the Düsseldorf Service Center has generated an excellent track record when it comes to developing first-rate apprentices. This has resulted in a Textron Aviation trainee winning the best-in-state award on average every other year over the past 10 years.

"Sofian is a deserving award winner. He knew his goal right from the start and was clear about how to reach it," said Martin. "Sofian joined us possessing many of the key skills an aircraft mechanic requires, which made my job as a trainer much easier. It was a case of providing a bit of support and he was more than ready to successfully complete his exams. I'm proud that Sofian has become yet another of our apprentices to be recognized as the very best in our state."

If you are interested in joining a team leading the world in the future of flight, take a look at our career opportunities.