BURBANK : Aircraft Firm Gets Training Contract

A Burbank aircraft parts maker has been awarded a $188,000 state contract aimed at preventing further worker layoffs by teaching employees to reduce manufacturing defects.

Barry Controls, which produces noise- and vibration-reduction systems for commercial and military aircraft, said it had to lay off 24 workers last year because it lost orders to competitors whose employees have already been taught new quality-control measures.

Under the state Employment Training Panel grant, machinists and other workers will learn how to correct manufacturing defects as they occur, rather than after products are finished.

The company, which has 360 workers, plans to put up another $122,000 to underwrite the program, which will train 101 workers starting next month.