Northwest Aerospace News February | March 2018 Issue No. 1

Cleared for Takeoff —Aerospace Workforce by Robin Bishop The Pacific Northwest states, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, have historically been known for min- ing, timber, agriculture, and of course, spectacular beauty and natural resources leading to an unri- valed tourism industry. While these industries still thrive, you might be surprised to find the area’s modern offerings include impressive companies like tech giants Microsoft and Intel, online real estate master Zillow; retailers such as Amazon, Costco, Nordstrom, Jantzen, Starbucks, and R.E.I.; and a host of recognized manufacturers, insurance companies and Fortune 500 companies. Washing- ton State is associated with being the birthplace of Starbucks Coffee, but is known more so for being the home of Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace manufacturer. Boeing, which exports to customers in 150 coun- tries, has been this country’s manufacturing heavy hitter for over a hundred years, and as such has fostered ancillary aerospace and aeronautical man- ufacturing companies in its proximity. There are now over 1,400 companies in the Pacific North- west whose rich knowledge and depth of technical skill touch every major aircraft manufacturer and carrier in the world. It then logically follows; a manufacturing region of this caliber would require a highly trained pre- mier workforce to support emerging technology, growth, and constant change. Promotion of career fields and focused aerospace and avionics educa- tion in the United States, however, has responded sluggishly to the growth and technological ad- vances the aerospace industry experiences. The 2013 Aerospace Manufacturing Skills Annual Report developed by Washington’s Workforce Training and Coordinating Board an- ticipates Washington State, alone, will require over 7,200 aerospace workers to fulfill impending retirements and emerging technology positions over the next five years. Add additional projections for Ore- gon and Idaho. This phenomenon has thrust Pacific Northwest states, especially Washington, into a new transition. Craving a workforce that can keep up with the digital complexity of new technologies on the horizon, industry leaders, including and sometimes lead by Boeing, began looking for ways to stimulate workforce growth to meet demand. FEBRUARY | MARCH 2018 ISSUE NO. 1 9

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