Embraer has launched a new aviation mechanic training program in Sorocaba, Brazil to help meet increasing demand for skilled MRO talent in the region.

The GIFT (Guiding and Inspiring Future Technicians) program will be held in partnership with two local schools, Athon College and EWM. Students will receive a mix of classroom and hands-on training, including opportunities at Embraer’s facilities. EWM is managing course structure under guidelines established by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency.

Embraer selected 22 students for the inaugural GIFT program and plans to welcome an additional 22 students later this year. The three-year program includes approximately 3,000 hr. of training.

According to Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer Services & Support, the program was driven by high demand from customers requesting additional maintenance lines at Embraer which, in turn, requires additional labor. “The goal is to help fulfill manpower needs that we see for growth here in Sorocaba,” he tells Aviation Week.

Naufel says GIFT follows in the footsteps of Embraer’s previous training initiatives, such as its Software Specialization Program, which launched in 2021, as well as its long-running Engineering Specialization Program. The nine-month software program is operated in partnership with the Federal University of Pernambuco, under which recent graduates and professionals with some experience receive the opportunity to work at Embraer on the development of intelligent systems. The engineering program combines a professional master’s degree from Brazil’s Aeronautics Institute of Technology with a course that prepares engineers to work in multidisciplinary roles at Embraer.

“GIFT has attracted a lot of interest from professionals in this sector,” says Everton Vicente, director of maintenance and FBO at Embraer Services & Support. “The high number of applicants demonstrates the exciting potential for growth in this field, especially in Sorocaba, which has established itself as one of Brazil’s main aeronautical maintenance clusters.”

Although GIFT is initially focused on developing local maintenance workforce in Sorocaba, which is home to its recently expanded Embraer Executive Jets Service Center, Naufel says the OEM hopes to eventually expand the program to other locations.