Institute Releases Advancing the Aviation and Aerospace Workforce Plan - January 24, 2012

Washington, DC, 01/24/12 -  The United States has enjoyed preeminence in aviation and aerospace manufacturing since the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903.  In a nation of innovators, manufacturing represents our best achievements and the promise of tomorrow’s advancements.  We have enjoyed the competitive advantage of being the global leader for over 100 years, but our global leadership is at risk.  The threat? Our limited workforce talent.

In light of the challenge to build the next generation workforce, industry has a renewed commitment to organizing an action-based solution, building off the successful efforts to re-define the education pathway in manufacturing, aligning to industry-based skills certifications.  In support of this effort, The Manufacturing Institute (Institute) and partners representing industry, education, and policy leaders are committed to prioritizing the alignment of education and workforce programs to meet the needs of Aviation and Aerospace.

The Institute recognizes that certification of specialized skill sets validates and affirms a knowledge and experience base for practitioners in a particular field, their employers, and the public.  Certification represents a validation of a particular individual’s professional competence.  This is the rationale behind development of the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System (SCS).

Aviation and Aerospace employers across the nation are currently contributing curriculum and content development to community colleges in their local employment areas.  The result of this work is a solid foundation of competencies that can position the Aviation and Aerospace industry to develop an Aviation and Aerospace Technician Certification (AATC), thereby strengthening the workforce pipeline.

In partnership with employers from critical Aviation and Aerospace regions, the National Center for Aviation Training, the Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center, and the Washington Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing, the Institute will conduct the “National Roundtable on Advancing the Aviation and Aerospace Technical Workforce" to begin the process of aligning the education pathway to industry-based certifications grounded in the SCS.

View the entire plan here.