Outline:
Excitement Builds in Escambia County with Field International Aerospace’s Arrival
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Escambia County commissioners made a significant announcement on Thursday night regarding the arrival of Field International Aerospace Company to the area. This UK-based firm specializes in maintenance and overhaul services and is expected to bring approximately 100 jobs to the region.
Local technical schools in Northwest Florida are now focusing on understanding the company’s needs and the types of workers they may require. George Stone Technical College in Pensacola hosted a workday on Friday, where students are actively engaged in programs that could lead to employment opportunities.
“Our classes are full right now. We’re holding a waiting list,” said Principal Steven Brooks. He expressed excitement about the potential impact of Field International on the aerospace industry in the area. “It’s always exciting, especially for the aerospace industry, to bring in some more business competition. For us, my take on it, a little uncertain as to what the need’s going to be for A&P mechanics, but this initial phase that they talked about with the 50 employers, 50 hires and $8 million in economic development for our welding students. It sounded like that was a great opportunity.”
Currently, there is a waitlist for aviation mechanics and welding programs at the college. Brooks believes this list will grow even larger with the recent announcement. Student Reed Rehwinkel shared his enthusiasm for the program, stating, “I’m really hoping to jump on any sort of opportunity that arises.” He added that the course is preparing him for whatever job is waiting after graduation.
“I know everybody in here kind of wants to do their own things,” he said. “Some people want to go in automotive. Some people want to actually go into pipeline. Obviously the aerospace is a big thing coming in. I’ve also heard of something going into the port. So a lot of local jobs and things like that. Mr. Arnie’s hopefully going to be able to get us set up and into those.”
Brooks mentioned that George Stone Technical College is open to working with Field International to tailor their programs to meet the company’s specific requirements. “A number of our students in all of our programs potentially have job offers before they finish,” he explained. “But as far as how that would work, let’s take welding for example. We’ve got a state approved curriculum that the students go through. That may or may not be what exactly Field International needs. Hopefully it is. But if they need us to tailor it specifically to something that they want, we can do that. We have that flexibility.”
Field International has indicated that the Midtown Commerce Park could be a potential location for its facilities. The company has promised to offer salaries ranging from $40,000 up to $150,000 and to prioritize hiring from the local workforce.