This summer , Johnson had openings for two machinists that he hadn ’ t been able to fill , despite the fact that he was working with recruiting companies and running ads online in the Seattle area , hoping to lure home a couple of Montana natives tired of the rain and the traffic on the coast .
The problem isn ’ t confined to Montana , of course . A survey by Associated General Contractors found that nationwide , 71 percent of businesses said they couldn ’ t find enough highskill or medium-skill workers , and a survey by U . S . Bank reported that for 53 percent of American small business owners , their inability to recruit and retain workers with the right skills was their number one constraint .
Montana doesn ’ t lack for highly skilled labor , said Cairns .
His university in Bozeman doesn ’ t offer a major in aerospace engineering , but it does offer a minor within the engineering department that produces , on average , 60 graduates a year .
Cairns said he pushed the school to launch the minor roughly 10 years ago , after surveys of graduates showed that “ upwards of a third of our students were going to work for aerospace companies or something that was aerospace-related , and could benefit from an aerospace minor .”
“ Our engineers are sought-after ,” Cairns said . “ They grew up on ranches and farms , so they have pragmatism and they have a good work ethic .”
42 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS