Kansas college paying for aerospace degree

A Kansas college is offering a sweetheart deal to students willing to move to Wichita, get a degree and work in that state's aerospace sector.

Wichita State University Technical College said this week it would pay moving expenses and housing, along with a full-tuition scholarship for people who live more than 75 miles away. The college said it will offer a signing bonus if hired by an aviation manufacturing company, where a job interview is guaranteed upon completion of the program. The first classes begin in March.

This would be the second time WSU Tech offered the deal to the first 50 eligible students willing to make the transition to its sheet metal assembly and process mechanic paint programs. All of the students who went through the six-to-eight-week courses last fall were offered jobs at Spirit AeroSystems or Textron Aviation, the school said.

"Wichita Promise Move is designed to help break down the barriers that keep individuals from getting trained," WSU Tech President Sheree Utash said. "Whether those barriers are financial, location, time or the fear of failing, we are ready to help anyone get the training they need to get a career in aviation and live, work and play in Wichita."

Oklahoma is also trying to bolster its aerospace industry training programs. Legislation introduced this year could lead to the creation of a dedicated CareerTech facility where students can learn about aerospace manufacturing by using industry tools and materials. A separate bill would give tax breaks to companies that donate equipment.

Companies in Oklahoma already employ 120,000 aerospace and aviation workers, according to a recent report from the Oklahoma State Chamber. State Rep. Adam Pugh, who chairs the legislative Aerospace Caucus, said there are 1,000 open jobs statewide in what is considered a growing industry. Some companies have moved out of Wichita, he said, and located their operations to places like Tinker Air Force Base or Plano, Texas.

"This may be somewhat of a reaction to that slow drip of workforce loss," Pugh said of the WSU Tech incentive.

Incentives already exist for companies in Oklahoma that hire aerospace engineers and manufacturing parts for the industry. The state also benefits from having three air force bases and major maintenance, repair and overhaul sites in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

"That is going to be hard to compete with if you're in Kansas, or another state that doesn't have the competitive advantages we have," Pugh said.