Textron’s ‘Help Wanted’ Shingle Has Some Tempting Small Print

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Textron Aviation is addressing the labor shortage with a three-prong effort to bring in career talent. Job prospects range from entry-level manufacturing positions to high-level engineering slots.

Incentives include, according to Textron, starting wages, sign-on bonuses and special tax credits that could generate up to $25,000 in benefits.

The new minimum wage for new-hire manufacturing employees and service professionals is $20 per hour at Textron Aviation headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, “one of the highest entry-level hourly wages in the region,” according to Textron. And the company asserts that many employees see wage increases every 90 days.

Sign-on bonuses are on the table for a variety of positions, including electrical engineers—$5,000; A&P mechanics—$5,000; and “other manufacturing and service roles”—$4,000.

And the Textron pitch includes this offer: “Qualifying new hires in aviation have a chance to receive up to $5,000 a year as a Kansas state income tax credit. You may qualify to claim the credit each year through 2026—totaling up to $25,000 in value.”

Company benefits also include: tuition assistance up to $8K for undergraduate-level classes and certificate programs; $10K for graduate-level classes; tuition assistance for pilot training; vacation, sick leave and other paid time off; onsite wellness center & pharmacy in Wichita; wellness program rewards; company-paid short-term disability; and free access to pet care, daycare and elder care.

Mark Phelps
Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. I get that it’s more than just the hourly rate but dishwashers at fast casual restaurants in my hometown are being courted at $24 per hour. One has to look at the total comp package and potential for career advancement, but still the optics could be better if you really want good talent that is willing to stay on for longer periods.

  2. So if New York has the highest minimum wage at $15 per hour, and dishwashers won’t even work $24+, why do we even have a discussion on minimum wage? The biggest problem is GenX znd GenZ have been brain washed by our communists to reject work altogether and want free everything. Society will collapse if we allow it too. Esier to live in mommies basement and play on our devises.

  3. The problem is right there in the story:

    “And the Textron pitch includes this offer: “Qualifying new hires in aviation have a chance to receive up to $5,000 a year as a Kansas state income tax credit. You may qualify to claim the credit each year through 2026—totaling up to $25,000 in value.”

    A truly free market is never happening, but at some point it has been tweaked so far that you enter cronyism, mercantilism, or some other “ism” that isn’t free market based. Central planning doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. Even Sanders and Warren have realized this.

    I think we will all agree that two of the main reasons for lack of demand for aircraft smaller than airliners are the FAA and lawsuits. Tweaking the Kansas state income tax to support the industry is just not the solution.

    Either we start doing the hard work of renovating the laws and institutions that we all know are the problem or our country will come crashing down under the weight of easy fixes we keep applying over and over.

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