A Farnborough Airshow focus for Airbus: future engineers and the engineers of the future

Airbus is utilising this week’s Farnborough International Airshow to promote its broad range of employment opportunities as the company seeks to hire some 4,000 new recruits in 2012. 

Ensuring diversity within the ranks of these new hires is one priority, with approximately 40 per cent of the recruits expected to be young graduates, and 70 per cent of the available positions considered “white collar” professions. 

Airbus’ employment expansion is driven by several factors, including the start-up of final assembly activities for the next-generation A350 XWB jetliner, the development of aircraft programs such as the A320neo, and manufacturing rate increases for its various jetliner products due to commercial demand – with the current order backlog representing seven to eight years of production.   

Many of Airbus’ openings are in engineering and production – as the company seeks engineers in avionics systems, structures engineers with experience in composites, as well as personnel with capabilities in the domains of quality, lean processes and supply chain management.  Production-oriented opportunities are available in aircraft structural assembly, systems installation and electrical installation; while other openings are in procurement, finance, information technology, human resources, strategy and marketing.

Airbus currently employs 55,000 workers worldwide.  Building on strong European roots, the company is expanding its worldwide footprint through steps that include the creation of a Chinese final assembly line for the A320 Family and the development of another such facility in the United States.

In addition to the current hiring outreach, Airbus also is focused on motivating the next generation of engineers, technicians and managers through such efforts as offering internship opportunities – with some 3,000 students to be welcomed this year, as well continuing its Fly Your Ideas competition, which encourages student teams to develop new ideas for a sustainable aviation industry.