Over the years , we have been able to interview many of these students . One of the recurring themes that we hear in these interviews is that if it were not for the scholarships , these students may not have been able to pursue their dream of someday working in the aerospace industry . This is vitally important , as the face of industry in this region has changed over the decades . As other industries have immerged , one of the things that will bring stability to the aerospace workforce is finding those who truly have a passion for it . The scholarships that are provided help those future aerospace pioneers realize their aspirations of becoming the next aerospace engineers , mechanics and innovators . We believe this is one of the ways that we can support and give back to the industry and we are proud to be partnering with those companies and individuals who contribute to this program .
Another area of opportunity that we see is creating awareness and interest about the aerospace industry to the younger youth . A few years ago , PNAA began to support the Electric Propulsion Innovation Challenge ( EPIC ), produced by Starfish Education . This student competition is an engineering design project for students in grades six through twelve , challenging them to work with a team of up to three kids to design , build and fly a small electric airplane . The scene is electrifying with dozens of teams not only competing to create the best design for flight and payload , but also teaching teamwork and the fun that you can have in STEM .
Their founder and director Lane Slagle explained to me that in an MIT study , they learned that of aerospace employees , 35 percent of children became interested between the ages of five through nine , 27 percent between 10 to 13 years of age and 30 percent by the time they were 17 . With 92 percent becoming interested by age 17 , activities like the EPIC challenge can help introduce these youngsters to the wonderful world of aerospace manufacturing . We believe this is a great opportunity to help kids learn about aerospace and that someday they too can be designing and building the next generation of aircraft in the Pacific Northwest .
This is an area that as a region , we can continue contributing to and developing , to build up the next generation of aerospace manufacturing employees . Many organizations in the Pacific Northwest contribute to efforts like this . In addition to PNAA , organizations like Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee ( AJAC ), Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition ( PNDC ), Aerospace Futures Alliance ( AFA ), Impact Washington and others also support workforce development in the region . If this early workforce development is a topic that you are passionate about or would like to contribute in , please reach out to one of these organizations , as there are often volunteer opportunities . If you would like to contribute to the PNAA scholarship program , you can learn more on our website or reach out to any of us . Let us continue partnering to find new and creative ways to grow our workforce , allowing the Pacific Northwest to remain the leading aerospace cluster in the world !
58 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS