Integrating training and technical publications for the next generation of maintainers

The following is a joint article between Bob Hogg of RWS Contenta and Teresa Madigan from BNH Expert Software

The aerospace and defense (A&D) industry is staring down a perfect storm: an aging workforce, rapid technological change, and an influx of new maintainers stepping into roles where mistakes are not an option. As both commercial and military organizations face technician shortages, the challenge isn’t just finding people, it’s making sure they become fully capable as fast as possible.

The traditional approach has been to treat training and technical publications (tech pubs) as separate disciplines: training happens in a classroom or simulator; tech pubs sit on the shelf – or on a tablet – for reference during real work. But given today’s workforce realities, that separation is no longer sustainable. To build proficiency quickly and maintain safety standards, training and tech pubs must work in tandem, as part of a single, integrated knowledge ecosystem.

1. Juniority demands accelerated learning. With up to 40% of mechanics nearing retirement, organizations are onboarding younger technicians at an unprecedented pace. These new maintainers often have theoretical foundation from STEM programs, but they lack the depth of judgment that comes from decades of hands-on troubleshooting. Closing that experience gap requires more than initial training, it demands continuous, on-the-job knowledge reinforcement.
2. Modern platforms are too complex for static manuals. Today’s aircraft systems are deeply integrated, with advanced health monitoring, predictive diagnostics, and AI-driven maintenance alerts. This complexity means that “look it up in the manual” is too slow and often too disconnected from the live context of the work. Just as training needs to be incorporated into the Interactive Electronic Technical Publication (IETP), the IETP needs to be more closely integrated into the maintenance management system (MMS).
3. The voice of the maintainer is critical. As RWS’s Collaborative Technical Knowledge whitepaper notes, feedback from technicians is often absent from the formal knowledge loop. Without closing that loop – capturing real-world lessons learned and embedding them back into both training and publications – maintainers risks repeating the same mistakes.

Point-of-Use Learning Embedded in the IETP

Imagine pulling up an Interactive Electronic Technical Publication (IETP) and seeing, alongside the step-by-step procedure, a 90-second video clip from a senior maintainer explaining the “tricky part” of the task. That’s integrated training – short, targeted refreshers triggered by the maintainer’s current task.

Contextual Collaboration Tools

Inside the same IETP, a maintainer should be able to launch a live, context-aware chat or video call with a subject matter expert. The publication should pass along the exact procedure step and data module they’re on, so the expert can instantly understand the situation.

Closed-Loop Feedback into Training Design

Every time a maintainer flags an unclear instruction or notes a better way to perform a step, that input should flow into both the tech pub update process and the training curriculum review. This creates a living system that continuously improves based on real-world use.

AI-Driven Proficiency Tracking

By combining IETP usage analytics (time on task, error points, help requests) with training records, AI can suggest targeted refreshers, recommend mentorship interventions, or flag maintainers ready for more complex work.

• Faster Ramp-Up: New maintainers transition from “knowing about” a task to “knowing how” more quickly. And, more importantly, they are provided with critical knowledge refreshers at the point of need.
• Reduced Errors: Contextual guidance and feedback loops help prevent repeat mistakes.
• Retention of Tribal Knowledge: Senior maintainers’ tips and techniques are captured once and reused indefinitely. Capture the knowledge now before it walks out the door for the last time.
• Higher Readiness Rates: Faster, more accurate maintenance keeps fleets mission-ready in both commercial and defense sectors.
• Preserve Consistency: Maintain consistent approach and taxonomy between training delivered in the classroom and references used while performing tasks.
• Minimize Training Analysis Time: Leverage Logistics Support Analysis (LSA) to identify tasks that require training. Leverage detailed knowledge in the technical publications in training development. 

Breaking down the silos between training departments and technical publications teams isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a necessity. A&D organizations should:

1. Adopt collaborative IETPs that embed multimedia training content directly into procedures.
2. Establish joint review boards with training and tech pubs teams to integrate feedback from the field.
3. Use centers of excellence (COE) to produce and validate learning content for emerging issues. The COE can be an incentive for your experienced staff who want to stop turning wrenches every day. You can support your junior staff by enabling your most experienced technicians to provide their expertise to support the network of junior staff members.
4. Leverage open standards like the S-Series to ensure content is interoperable across systems and platforms.

In the face of the technician shortage and the rise of juniority, integrating training and technical publications isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about safeguarding operational readiness, and the hard-earned wisdom of those who’ve kept assets operating for decades.

Juniority in A&D maintenance is a challenge that affects safety, efficiency and long-term readiness. But with the right mix of mentorship, collaboration, smart S1000D and S6000T standardized content and strategic retention, it’s a challenge we can meet head-on.

Care to dive deeper into how collaborative IETPs can help close the experience gap and future-proof your maintenance teams? Check out our paper, Collaborative technical knowledge and our blog, How A&D is losing its skilled maintainers.