Boeing updates training for new hires in manufacturing and quality

(Reuters) - Boeing said on Thursday the planemaker has updated its workforce training for new hires for manufacturing and quality after pausing it in late February.

Its new hires will now receive 10 to 14 weeks of foundational skills training before moving to the production floor, which is one to two weeks more on average per employee than in the past.

At its Renton training center, Boeing has installed a section of 737 fuselage for employees to practice skills such as wiring installation and identifying potential defects.

Following Alaska Airlines incident on Jan.5 when a door panel of a 737 MAX 9 detached during a flight, the company is overhauling manufacturing practices as it grapples with investigations and slumping production of its strongest-selling jet.

(Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)