Textron Aviation鈥檚 Help Hangar is where more than 60 Wichita State students work side by side with Textron employees to solve their information technology problems.
鈥淕etting my foot in the door at Textron Aviation via the Help Hangar allowed me to get face time with potential employers and showcase myself and my abilities which led to an internship and direct full time hire at Textron Aviation as an IT Developer,鈥� said Seth Layton, a Wichita State computer engineering major. 鈥淭his avenue would not have presented itself had I not had the opportunities given to me by working for Ennovar at the Help Hangar.鈥�
Textron Aviation is continually exploring ways to enhance interactions with employees who need IT help. The Help Hangar was introduced in 2017 as a service to assist employees with a variety of IT-related issues. Instead of explaining solutions over the phone, an on-site Help Hangar representative meets with employees directly to diagnose and solve issues on the spot, or refer them to the correct support team for resolution.
Paul Suellentrop鈥淲e鈥檙e there to be a smiling face who helps (employees) through a rough situation,鈥� said Trevor Rietcheck, a Wichita State computer science major and a member of Textron Aviation鈥檚 Information Technology Leadership Development Program.
Wichita State students benefit from the applied learning experiences and an emphasis on working effectively with customers.
In November, members of Wichita State鈥檚 administration and Textron Aviation鈥檚 management team met in to discuss Help Hangar鈥檚 progress and its future.
Matt Forney, executive director of Wichita State鈥檚 Ennovar Technology Solutions, is working with Textron Aviation to expand the model to other areas. More than 60 Wichita State students currently help staff the Help Hangar, pulling from majors such as biology, computer science, marketing, business and cyber-security.
鈥淭he model out here is probably one of the best models I鈥檝e seen as far as applied learning,鈥� said Tom Rose, Ennovar senior technical manager.
Paul SuellentropLayton said he learned technical skills such as SQL, Power BI, VBscript, technical troubleshooting and proprietary systems knowledge. He also picked up soft skills, such as improving business acumen and understanding large corporation hierarchy/nuances. Those skills helped him move to direct employment.
Help Hangar students trouble-shoot, install software, replace parts and set up mobile devices, in addition to other duties. Experienced students train new students.
鈥淲e get everybody in here,鈥� Layton said. 鈥淪ometimes, we even get people coming in here asking questions that didn鈥檛 pertain to IT. Because we are here, they have a face they could go to talk to and we help them. So, it is really just having the ability to physically connect with someone face to face instead of a phone call.鈥�
The Help Hangar鈥檚 mission starts with face help for employees who can鈥檛 send an email, can鈥檛 get a computer to power up, can鈥檛 access a shared drive or a network mailbox. Preventative maintenance helps head off problems and keep employees from making return trips to the Help Hangar.
鈥淎 lot of those are rinse-and-repeat kind of things where you see them day in and day out,鈥� said Rietcheck. 鈥淥ur job is to address what they were coming in about, but also fix anything else that we might see. One of the mantras for Textron Aviation is: 鈥楳ake IT easy.鈥欌��
The experiences with Ennovar and the Help Hangar fit with Wichita State鈥檚 applied learning mission.
鈥淭he Help Hangar gave us the opportunity to get hands on with the work environment outside of the classroom,鈥� Reitcheck said. 鈥淲e got the chance to work on issues that weren鈥檛 just hypothetical and required application of different skills that wouldn鈥檛 normally be practiced. The most impactful of those was actually the soft skills of face-to-face customer service. It required you to be able to problem solve on the fly while still being personable. These interactions allowed us to network outside of the college and get our names known in the industry.鈥�
Textron Aviation benefits from the IT help, cost savings and building an employee pipeline. 鈥淥ur customers benefit from a choice of options to fix IT issues,鈥� said Chuck Passannante, vice president and chief information officer at Textron Aviation.
鈥淲e measure the effectiveness of the Help Hanger among our customers and consistently receive positive feedback,鈥� said Passannante. 鈥淭he Help Hangar and our relationship with 黑洞社区 has caught the attention of other Textron business units as a best practice with respect to the employee experience. I鈥檝e actually experienced the Help Hangar myself 鈥� it鈥檚 fantastic.鈥�
The Help has locations on Textron Aviation鈥檚 east and west Wichita campuses, in addition to mobile units.
鈥淭he Help Hangar partnership is a prime example of how Wichita State鈥檚 applied learning model benefits students and industry partners,鈥� said John Tomblin, 黑洞社区 vice president for research and technology transfer. 鈥淪tudents are not only gaining hard skills and knowledge in their area of study, but also confidence, contacts and a grasp on the industry culture. And Textron Aviation is increasing employee productivity and satisfaction. As these students graduate, we hope many gain full time employment, keeping our best talent in Kansas.鈥�