Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas has entered into a collaboration with The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), to strengthen its commitment to workforce development and innovation in the North Texas region.
Recaro is supporting the Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) initiative, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The ExLENT project is a long-term initiative intended to create a structured link between academia and industry. Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas will support the programme over a three-year period by contributing its industry expertise to the UTA’s curriculum development, helping ensure alignment with current engineering challenges and industry requirements, while also supporting ongoing programme evaluation and improvement efforts.
For Recaro, a key part of the collaboration is the opportunity to engage directly with UTA students. Each semester, participating student groups will visit Recaro’s site in Fort Worth, Texas to learn more about aviation engineering and manufacturing processes. Recaro will also host two interns per year as part of its summer internship programme over the three-year project period.
In March of this year, the first group of 19 students, accompanied by faculty members, visited Recaro’s Fort Worth facility. The visit included a tour of the production floor and a Q&A session with Recaro experts.
The programme provides students with hands-on experience, supports the development of skills relevant to the aviation sector, and offers direct exposure to industry environments. All training, scholarship, and internships are funded by the National Science Foundation.
Recaro says the initiative strengthens its engagement with future engineering talent and increases the company’s visibility within the academic and aviation communities. By introducing students to real-world engineering environments early in their academic journey, the collaboration can raise awareness of career opportunities in the aviation industry and help build a future-ready workforce with practical industry experience.
“The NSF ExLENT program provides a valuable platform to engage with future engineering talent and support their development through practical experience. By collaborating closely with students, we contribute to strengthening the connection between university learning and industry expectations,” said Sunitha Vegerla, general manager of Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas.
“Initiatives such as this play an important role in developing a skilled and sustainable workforce for the aerospace industry.”
