Lockheed Martin Corporation and Chattahoochee Technical College are collaborating to address skilled workforce needs in the aeronautics industry. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Monday, Aug. 19, to establish a Lockheed Martin training initiative at the Chattahoochee Tech Aviation Training Academy.
“This is the rekindling of a great relationship between Chattahoochee Tech and Lockheed,” said Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb. “We’re going to do so much training beginning this semester and for years to come.”
Lockheed Martin has created the Aircraft Manufacturing Training Program (AMTP) at Chattahoochee Tech to provide a pipeline of skilled aircraft structures/assembler employees for the company’s aeronautics facility in Marietta. The college will provide Lockheed Martin with the use of a training classroom and lab space at the Aviation Training Academy. Lending additional support for this initiative is the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), North America’s largest aerospace and defense labor union. Thanks to the IAM partnership, this initiative represents a U.S. Department Labor apprenticeship program, which opens up even more opportunities for student participants.
“It is fantastic to get to this point,” said Lockheed Martin Corporation Vice President David Logan. “There are a lot of people who have put a lot of hard work into this, on both the Chattahoochee Tech side and the Lockheed Martin side.”
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace and defense manufacturer with worldwide interests. Chattahoochee Tech celebrated the opening of the college’s Aviation Training Academy with a ribbon-cutting on Apr. 26, 2024. The three-story, 55,000-plus square-foot facility located next to the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport provides space for students to prepare for high-demand careers in aviation mechanics and maintenance. The facility features a 12,000 square-foot hangar, instructional labs, classrooms, and a technical library.
