Outlook
The Skills Gap Challenge
Today, there is no sector of our economy contributing more to US net exports than commercial aviation manufacturing. US aircraſt manufac- turers continue to hold strong positions in the world market, in part because of the technological advances that are driving those markets: Innovative Materials: To address
customer concerns over historically high fuel prices, manufacturers continue to reduce aircraſt weight through the use of advanced, lighter weight materials in wing structures, fan blades, fuselage sections, and other parts of the aircraſt. For example, by weight about 50% of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s airframe struc- ture is comprised of composites. Tis compares to about 5% from designs of the 1960s. Manufacturers are using car- bon and glass fiber composites, ceramic and metal matrix composites, titanium, and new alloys such as aluminum-lith- ium in a continuing search for higher- strength, lighter weight materials. Nanotechnology: Increasingly, our
industry is using a variety of nanotech- nologies to improve aircraſt durability and performance. Tese run the gamut from “nano coatings” on windows to reduce aerodynamic drag, advanced turbine blade coatings to provide greater durability, and new, nano-filler materials to reduce weight. Engine Manufacturing: Our en-
gine manufacturers are breaking new ground to reduce engine weight and emissions while improving fuel efficiency. (And this comes from an industry that has already increased fuel efficiency by 20% over the past decade). For example, a number of our manu-
facturers are using additive manufac- turing, commonly referred to as 3D printing, to make engine parts. Tey are evaluating and developing different biofuels collaboratively through the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). And they con- tribute, dollar-for-dollar, to the FAA’s Continuous Low Energy, Emissions
Projections are that by 2017—just three years from now—18.5% of the industry will be eligible to retire.
and Noise (CLEEN) program. Te first phase of CLEEN developed certifiable aircraſt technologies that will signifi- cantly reduce noise, emissions and fuel burn. To its credit, the FAA program requires industry to demonstrate a path to the commercial market, ensuring the technology benefits will be realized. Tese are developed to high technology readiness levels (TRL 6-7) to transition them quickly to aviation users. Our industry today is an engine of
national economic growth and innova- tion. However, aviation is a vibrant, global market that not only emboldens our existing competitors, but is certain to produce new competitors in the com- ing decades. To retain and strengthen our current leadership, the federal government must do its part. With a global market that is growing rapidly, and with the pace of technological in- novation increasing, we must maintain an adequate supply of aerospace workers with degrees in science, technology, en- gineering and math (STEM) disciplines and job-specific manufacturing skills.
Marion C. Blakey President and CEO
Aerospace Industries Association Washington, DC
Unfortunately, today the United
States is simply not producing enough workers with the right technical skills. Te US graduates around 300,000 stu- dents a year with bachelor’s or associate’s degrees in STEM fields. Te February 2012 report of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technol- ogy (PCAST) said this figure falls short of our economic need by one-third. Today, less than 40% of students who start college intending to earn a STEM degree actually complete the degree requirements. And we should not keep our sole focus on four-year degrees, for community colleges and career techni- cal education play equally important roles. In fact, one-third of our current STEM employees began their education in community colleges. Our STEM workforce challenge
is exacerbated by the fact that the aerospace industry is, in a word, graying. In 2007, we found that almost 60% of the US aerospace workforce was age 45 or older. Today, 9.6% of our industry is eligible to retire, and projections are that by 2017—just three years from now—18.5% of the entire industry will be eligible to retire. At our largest corporations (those employing 100,000 or more), the percentage of the retirement eligible workforce is already 18.6%. We are experiencing a shortage of STEM workers today, but the problem will be even greater when the bow wave of actual retirement hits us in the next couple of years. How will we keep these jobs in the US if we cannot find and train enough workers? Tat is a real concern of many in our industry looking to the future. ✈
Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing 2014 43
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