reparing for and adjusting to fundamental changes in the workforce have been the focus of much discussion and joint effort by aerospace and defense firms for several years. The “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report raised alarm among leaders of our industry, which was facing unprecedented workforce shifts as baby boomers became eligible for retirement. Concerns among chief executive of- ficers at our largest member companies about having a strong American workforce for our industry, for national security and for economic competitiveness through the 21st century led them to create a special working group at the Aerospace Industries Association.
Our member companies had for decades supported innu- merable educational programs and extra-curricular activities with hundreds of millions of dollars, collectively, per year. With
interest in STEM subjects remain below the levels needed to sustain a robust, innovative 21st Century economy. However, the environment in which we operate and address these issues has altered significantly. Foremost, the economic downturn in 2008 and ensuing recession have both mitigated and exacerbated workforce challenges in the aerospace and defense industry. The tsunami of retirements expected has not yet manifested, because baby boomers have prolonged their working years due to the reduced value of their savings and assets. This has allowed companies to prepare for and manage workforce transitions in a more deliberate and less disruptive fashion than anticipated.
Doing a better job of identifying and characterizing both immediate and future workforce needs has been a main project of the AIA Workforce Steering Committee formed in
Student performance and interest in STEM subjects remain far from the levels needed to sustain a robust, innovative 21st Century economy.
U.S. student interest and performance in math and science falling behind more than twenty other countries, it was clear these contributions were not having the desired impact. We needed to find out what should be done differently. About a dozen representatives from major aerospace corporations first met in April 2006. The group was tasked with identifying the best practices in education for science, technology, engineer- ing and mathematics (STEM) that some companies were al- ready supporting and others might get behind; to reach out to and collaborate with others having a stake in STEM workforce preparation; and to report back to the CEOs about what our industry could do to effectuate real change. Much has changed in the intervening six years, but the problems are nowhere near solved. Student performance and
2009. These CEO-appointed senior executives are intimately involved in the design and continuous refinement of the An- nual Aerospace and Defense Workforce Study conducted by Aviation Week & Space Technology in partnership with AIA, NDIA, AIAA and NASA.
Understanding the Challenge AvWeek started a yearly workforce study in 1997, and it is now the one and only official workforce survey and analysis of the aerospace and defense industries. Overseen by an Advisory Committee of CEOs, the effort now incorporates not only data on jobs and career opportunities in these industries but also the demographics of the workforce, key technology and other trends, comparison with other sectors, perceptions