Northwest Aerospace News April | May 2019 Issue No. 8 | Page 44

WHO WE ARE
Washington State is the best, most com-
petitive location in the United States for
aerospace innovation and manufacturing.
However, Washington manufacturers face
a “silver tsunami” as more mature employ-
ees consider retirement, while companies
continue to add thousands of new jobs.
Manufacturers also face significant skills
shortages due to the rapid adoption of
technology across the sector. Advanced
manufacturers, particularly small and medi-
um-sized enterprises, need help to create a
stable, seamless pipeline of qualified work-
ers and to connect with the region’s increas-
ingly diverse labor pool of local residents,
including young adults in high school.
Washington State funded the creation of the
Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Com-
mittee, or AJAC, in 2008 to address the
talent development needs of Washington’s
aerospace and advanced manufacturing
industry. AJAC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
aerospace and advanced manufacturing
registered apprenticeship organization.
AJAC partners with 12 Washington State
community and technical colleges, 14
school districts and over 250 local manu-
facturing employers to provide apprentice-
ship training to nearly 400 apprentices per
year.
The structure of AJAC’s registered appren-
ticeship program provides the framework
for employers to see a more rapid return on
their investment. Each programs combines
93 percent supervised, structured on-the-job
training coupled with 7 percent college-lev-
el classroom instruction using curriculum
developed with partnering companies and
subject matter experts from industry.
Dependent on each employer’s need,
AJAC’s programs service a wide array of
occupations from machining and industri-
al maintenance for adults, to production
and automation programs for high school
students.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS