Boeing is putting $1.1 million toward two workforce development programs for students in Albuquerque and elsewhere.
The programs are from NextFlex, an electronics manufacturing institute. The first, FlexFactor, introduces high school students to opportunities in advanced manufacturing. The other, Flex2Future, brings companies and schools together to get students into advanced manufacturing internships, among other things.
In addition to Albuquerque, eight other areas were selected. The selected areas are "critical manufacturing hubs for Boeing," according to a release from the aviation giant, which has corporate offices in Chicago.
The other cities are Montgomery, Alabama; Washington D.C.; Norfolk, Virginia; Houston; Philadelphia; Phoenix; St. Petersburg, Florida; and "the Capital Region of Virginia," according to the release.
The FlexFactor program was previously brought to Huntsville, Alabama. There have been more than 8,500 participants in that program to date, according to Boeing. The company's news release says the select areas "satisfy an important goal" of reaching students from underrepresented communities, particularly minorities, women and people with military ties.
“Our workforce development programs focus on developing a coordinated STEM and manufacturing talent pipeline, beginning with recruitment in K-12 grades,” NextFlex executive director Malcolm Thompson said in a statement provided by Boeing. "We’re ecstatic to continue partnering with Boeing as our network of workforce development initiatives continues to grow and leverage important learnings and best practices."
NextFlex describes itself as a "consortium" of companies, nonprofits, academic institutions and government partners that have a goal of advancing the manufacturing of flexible, printed electronics. The organization is now planning two additional education programs — FlexPro and FlexAhead — with technical coursework for engineers.
Boeing has 290 New Mexico employees and its Laser & Electro-Optical Systems business unit is located in Albuquerque, according to a March analysis of a request for Job Training Incentive Program money. The analysis, dated March 11, was provided to Business First last month by Bruce Krasnow, a spokesman for the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
The same document says Boeing was awarded a "large contract with the Department of Defense, which has resulted in and expansion of the LEOS program." The company requested funding for training an electrical engineer and a "printed circuit board designer" with a wage range of $25.48 to $45.19, the document shows.
