Latest news with #ALOFT
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Textron Aviation unveils $40 million career center in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Textron Aviation officially opened its $40 million Career & Learning Center in Wichita on Wednesday, aimed at enhancing workforce development in the aviation industry. The center consolidates hiring, training, and educational outreach to support talent development. The 75,000-square-foot facility features four zones, each designed for a specific stage of employment, ranging from job applications and onboarding to technical training and student engagement. The aviation company says that the center demonstrates a commitment to attracting and developing skilled professionals in aviation manufacturing and support roles. 'This facility is an important investment in building the next generation of aviation talent,' Ron Draper, Textron Aviation president and CEO, said. 'Recruiting, hiring, and training a world-class workforce is vital to our ability to provide the best aviation experience for our customers.' Kansas Governor Laura Kelly praised the facility as a model for workforce partnerships. 'This new career and learning center is way more than just a building—it's a partnership,' she said during Wednesday's ribbon-cutting event. 'Textron is training and hiring the next generation of Kansas workers.' Wichita's coming Broadway season brings unique tour debuts The project received $3.3 million from the ALOFT grant program to support apprenticeships, manufacturing training, and K-12 aviation education, featuring spaces for flight simulators and STEM activities. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran also spoke at the event, highlighting the federal commitment to promoting aviation as a national strategic asset. 'I hope that everyone who has a dream to do something with their lives finds this facility available to them,' Moran said. 'We want the bright future we envision for Kansas to be built here.' Rep. Ron Estes added that the new center reinforces Wichita's reputation as the 'Air Capital of the World.' 'Textron continues to lead in education and workforce preparation. This facility will not only help train aviation workers—it will strengthen our national economy and defense,' he said. For more information or to apply, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Foreign aid freeze halts University of Tennessee international agriculture program
A University of Tennessee agriculture education program is on hold as President Donald Trump reviews spending by the U.S. Agency for International Development. (Photo: John Partipilo) A University of Tennessee program supporting agriculture education in developing countries is on hold while President Donald Trump's administration reviews U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spending. The university's Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture leads the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOFT) program for Southeast Asia. U.S. volunteers travel to Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines to provide 2-week technical training to support resilient food systems for institutions involving youth, according to the university's website. USAID's Farmer-to-Farmer Program awarded the Smith Center five years of funding for ALOFT in 2023, but the program is currently under a stop work order, said Tom Gill, the Smith Center's director. The 18-person ALOFT consortium gathered for a kickoff meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia in November to make plans for years 2-5 of the project, according to a blog post published in January. Those plans are now in limbo. Spending at USAID, an agency that oversees the bulk of U.S. foreign aid distribution, is being scrutinized by a newly branded Department of Government Efficiency under Trump adviser Elon Musk. The setup spurred a litany of legal questions over the limits of DOGE's authority and its access to federal systems. Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on foreign aid last month, placed all USAID direct hires on leave and closed the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Unions representing USAID employees and nongovernmental organizations that receive USAID funding responded by filing lawsuits. While Trump has called for USAID's closure on social media, a federal judge on Feb. 7 temporarily blocked the administration's plans to put 2,200 workers on leave and withdraw USAID's overseas presence. 'We continue to closely monitor the situation and evaluate any potential impact on the University as new information becomes available,' University of Tennessee spokesperson Melissa Tindell wrote in an email to the Tennessee Lookout on Tuesday. USAID provides funding for research grants and other programs to many state universities, including University of Tennessee. The funding freeze also paused a $22 million University of Louisiana AgCenter research project to make climate resilient sorghum, millet, wheat and rice, the Louisiana Illuminator reported. The University of Tennessee chronicles its participation in the Farmer-to-Farmer program with a series of blog posts featuring program volunteers. Kristen Johnson, an assistant professor and nutrition specialist, traveled to Cambodia in 2022 with a group of UT Extension volunteers. 'Having the opportunity to do international work is a valuable thing because it could help agents better serve the diverse communities in Tennessee,' Johnson said in one blog post. 'When you can learn how individuals in other places approach the same concept, you find that the way they do things might enhance the way you're doing things and vice-versa.' In fiscal year 2023, the United States distributed nearly $72 billion in foreign aid — roughly 1.2% of the entire federal budget — according to federal records. USAID distributed around $43.8 billion of those funds. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
