Boeing's foundational training now lasts 10 to 14 weeks, which is one to two weeks more on average per employee than in the past. This change is part of the company's effort to improve quality control and enhance safety culture following a series of high-profile incidents.
The incident that prompted Boeing to improve quality control was a door plug panel blowing off a new 737 Max jet in midair. This event led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordering Boeing to come up with a comprehensive plan to fix its quality control problems.
Boeing decided to revise its training materials to improve quality control after a door plug panel blew off a relatively new plane in midair. The company added new steps to ensure work is performed in the right sequence and documented correctly, and created a formal mentoring program, adding more hands-on repetition in training.