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Joby outlines workforce pipeline, says Marina production will more than double
Summary
Joby Aviation told the Monterey County Board of Supervisors it will expand production at Marina Airport, more than doubling local manufacturing space and hiring from local apprenticeship and internship programs.
Joby Aviation officials updated the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on April 29 about local manufacturing and workforce programs tied to the company’s expansion at Marina Airport. Cody Cleverly, Joby’s workforce development lead, described a multi-pronged local hiring strategy including apprenticeships, internships and new training programs aimed at aircraft mechanics and other aerospace trades.
Cleverly said Joby’s aircraft “takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter, but flies in cruise flight like an airplane,” and described the company as “a vertically integrated transportation company” that assembles powertrains, electronics and airframes in the region. He told supervisors the Marina facility currently has about 200,000 square feet of production space and that a new building under construction “will more than double that capacity when it comes online later this year and into next year.”
Nut graf: The presentation framed Joby’s Marina expansion as a sustained local investment in manufacturing jobs. Company representatives said their advanced-manufacturing apprenticeship program, launched with workforce partners including Monterey Bay DART and Hartnell College, has converted more than 90% of apprentices into full-time Joby positions and that the company has hired over 70 paid apprentices from Monterey County alone.
Joby described several workforce efforts. The advanced-manufacturing apprenticeship, started in 2023, offers on-the-job training across tracks such as composites, robotic operation and quality inspection; Joby reported more than 70 local apprentices and high conversion to full-time roles. The company also runs internship programs—some created with the Monterey County Workforce Development Board—that have placed more than two dozen local interns and expect another cohort soon. Joby said it plans to launch a 2½-year aircraft-maintenance apprenticeship to produce certificated airframe and powerplant technicians.
Cody Cleverly and other Joby presenters tied those programs to philanthropic and government partners, naming the James Irvine Foundation, Hartnell College, Mujeres, Acción and local workforce agencies. Cleverly said the company is pursuing grants and tax incentives in California to expand battery production and other operations and noted recent state legislation supportive of advanced air mobility (SB 800 and AB 431).
Supervisors asked about timelines for commercial service. Cleverly said certification timing rests with the Federal Aviation Administration but that Joby expects to operate aircraft in parts of the U.S. “in the next few years” and may operate in Dubai earlier, pending that country’s regulators. Supervisors praised the local hiring commitments and highlighted the opportunity for regional career pathways for young people.
Ending: Joby’s presentation was informational; supervisors said the county remains open to further updates and partnerships on workforce and infrastructure. Documentation of the update is in the board record.
