Industry Training Operations Apprentice

WSU Tech’s National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) is seeking an exceptional, highly motivated individual to join our Aviation Workforce & Development team as an Industry Training Operations Apprentice. This is not a traditional entry-level position — it is a deliberate, structured leadership development program built around one purpose: preparing the right person to lead.

Successful candidates who complete this apprenticeship will be positioned for advancement into director-level leadership within the Industry Training division. From day one, you will work directly alongside the Industry Training Director — learning the full scope of operations, building real employer relationships, managing financial workflows, and taking on progressively greater responsibility as you prove your readiness.

If you are ambitious, accountable, and ready to invest 18–24 months into accelerated professional growth, this opportunity was built for you. Wage increases are tied to defined performance milestones — the faster you grow, the faster you advance.

• Department: Aviation Workforce & Development
• Salary: $50,000
• Duration: 18-24 months

What You Will Do

Operations & Administration

• Manage daily operations of the Industry Training division, ensuring training programs, schedules, and employer commitments are executed on time and without disruption to contracted services
• Maintain primary responsibility for office administration, scheduling coordination, and operational workflow within the division
• Adapt rapidly to shifting priorities, reassigned tasks, and evolving program needs — this role moves at the speed of business and requires composure under pressure
• Track, manage, and meet hard deadlines tied to employer training contracts and delivery schedules; missed deadlines directly impact employer relationships and program credibility
• Complete assigned projects and progressively assume increased operational responsibility throughout the apprenticeship period
• Participate in a minimum of 20 hours of structured professional development activities

Employer Relations & Business Development

• Build and sustain professional relationships with employers across all scales — from local and regional Wichita-area companies to national OEM partners such as Boeing, Textron, and other aviation industry leaders
• Represent WSU Tech NCAT in employer meetings, site visits, and industry partnership discussions with professionalism and institutional knowledge
• Identify workforce training needs and opportunities through active engagement with employer partners and workforce organizations
• Support contract development, training proposals, and partnership negotiations under the direction of the Industry Training Director

Billing, Finance & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Process and manage employer invoicing for training services, ensuring accuracy and timely submission in coordination with the WSU Tech Business Office
• Support budget reconciliation for training contracts, tracking expenditures against contracted amounts and flagging variances
• Serve as a consistent point of coordination between the Industry Training division and internal stakeholders including Finance, the Business Office, and other college departments
• Interface regularly with external organizations — employer partners, funding agencies, and industry associations — on financial and contractual matters
• Maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and institutional financial policies

Requirements

• Associate Degree (required at time of hire)
• Currently pursuing or will complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Workforce Development, Education, Human Resources, Organizational Leadership, or a related field during the apprenticeship period
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines and shifting priorities without loss of quality or accountability
• Strong professional communication skills — written, verbal, and interpersonal — across diverse audiences including employers, college administration, and finance personnel
• Comfort working with financial data, invoicing processes, or budget-related workflows
• Professional demeanor with the ability to represent the institution credibly in employer-facing environments at all levels

Preferred

• Experience in workforce development, training coordination, higher education, operations, business development, or industry partnerships
• Familiarity with contract development, grant documentation, or employer billing processes
• Experience working across organizational boundaries with finance, operations, or external partners
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and Outlook

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is not waiting for permission to lead. The right candidate brings urgency, accountability, and genuine curiosity to everything they do. You build trust with people quickly — whether that’s a shop-floor training coordinator, a VP of Human Resources at a major OEM, or a colleague in the Business Office. You do not need to arrive with all the answers. You need the drive to learn fast, the discipline to follow through when it counts, and the professional presence to represent WSU Tech in high-stakes employer environments.

Successful candidates who complete this apprenticeship will be positioned for advancement into director-level leadership within the Industry Training division. This is a rare opportunity to earn your way into a leadership role while building the exact skills that role requires.

What You Will Learn

This apprenticeship is a fully immersive leadership development experience. By the time you complete the program, you will have working mastery of the operational, financial, and relational competencies required to lead a high-performing industry training division.

Workforce & Industry Training Operations

• How to design, schedule, and deliver customized employer training programs from initial needs assessment through contract execution and post-training evaluation
• The operational mechanics of running a high-volume, deadline-driven training division — including how to triage competing priorities without losing quality or relationships
• Compliance requirements and documentation standards for workforce training programs at the federal, state, and institutional level

Business Development & Employer Relations

• How to build and sustain employer partnerships at every scale — from initial outreach and needs discovery through long-term relationship stewardship with major industry partners
• Contract negotiation fundamentals, proposal development, and how to structure training agreements that serve both the employer and the institution
• How workforce development fits into broader economic development strategy and why aviation training is a national priority — giving you context that elevates every employer conversation you have

Financial Management & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Employer invoicing processes, billing cycle management, and how to coordinate with the WSU Tech Business Office to ensure accurate and timely financial transactions
• Budget development and reconciliation for training contracts — including how to track program expenditures, identify variances, and communicate financial status to internal stakeholders
• How to navigate and build credibility across organizational boundaries — working effectively with finance, operations, academic leadership, and external partners simultaneously

Leadership & Strategic Thinking

• How to lead through ambiguity — making sound decisions quickly when priorities shift, timelines compress, or employer needs evolve unexpectedly
• Grant documentation strategy, reporting requirements, and the funding landscape that supports workforce training programs
• The leadership competencies, institutional knowledge, and professional presence required to step into a director-level role with confidence

Benefits

WSU Tech is committed to inclusive and equitable practices to create an environment and culture where students and employees thrive. We acknowledge that through valuing diverse identities, experiences, talents, and gifts, we excel by fulfilling our mission to create a talent pipeline, establish workforce equity, and improve economic prosperity for our community. WSU Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer.