Business jet maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company Duncan Aviation has seen its summer internship program grow by 23 per cent, to 37 interns.
The avionics and maintenance interns, who are paid, are spread out between Duncan’s facilities in Provo, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Battle Creek, Michigan.
“Over the last two years, we’ve put a lot more focus on our internship program, and it will continue to grow with the expansion of our third full-service MRO facility in Provo,” said Duncan human resource team lead Jennifer Monroe.
The opening of a maintenance hangar in Provo, Utah, earlier this year has allowed the program to grow at a time when the availability of maintenance and avionics technicians is tightening.
The program, which has grown from just 17 interns in 2017, has been a success in that the company offered 12 out of its 30 interns last year full-time jobs.
“I think one of the most valuable benefits of the program is that interns get the chance to experience our culture,” said Duncan airframe services manager Jeremy Rangel. “Duncan Aviation’s culture is one of our biggest selling points, and it is difficult to [convey by just] speaking to a group outside the company.”
Airframe technician Jacob Trowbridge won an internship at Duncan when he was still a student at Utah State University in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“The internship prepared me for the actual job here at Duncan Aviation by showing me exactly what would be expected of me,” said Trowbridge. “My team didn’t really treat me as an intern, more like a new hire that they just had to show the ropes to. The internship was immensely helpful in this way, and I accepted a full-time job with Duncan Aviation in 2017.