The establishment of its facility in Morocco is part of the company’s long-term commitment to partner with the Moroccan Government to develop a world-class aerospace industry in the country.
In February 2013, Bombardier began its first operations in Morocco, employing 19 local staff at its transitional site near Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport, making flight-control components for its CRJ family of regional jets. A year later, that number has risen to 130, with an average age of just 24. At the end of 2020, Bombardier plans to have its workforce level reach 850 employees.
By establishing its own fully integrated manufacturing facility in Morocco, Bombardier Aerospace could serve as a catalyst for the aerospace industry in Morocco, by looking for opportunities to share some of its knowledge and manufacturing processes. However, building an aerospace business is more than just learning new manufacturing techniques, there is also an important need to increase the skills base.
To address this, Bombardier has developed a close relationship with the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique in Casablanca, which helps provide a workforce skilled in aircraft assembly and manufacturing techniques. In 2012, Bombardier employees provided ‘train-the-trainer’ sessions to teachers at the institute to train local workers to find jobs in Bombardier’s new site in Morocco.