Northwest Aerospace News — Issue 34 August | September 2023 | Page 4

NORTHWEST

AEROSPACE

N E W S M A G A Z I N E
www . northwestaerospacenews . com
203 N . Washington St . Suite # 200W Spokane , WA 99201
509-995-9958 ISSUE No . 34
PUBLISHER
DEAN CAMERON DEAN @ NORTHWESTAEROSPACENEWS . COM
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & EDITORIAL DESIGN
REBECCA LLOYD REBECCA @ TOPDRAWERMEDIA . COM
COPY EDITOR & PROOFREADER
ANN CONTOIS ANN . CONTOIS @ GMAIL . COM
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS :
JENNIFER FERRERO JOANNA BOATWRIGHT NIKKI MALCOM CHRIS RAYMOND JAMES BURK MERRIE BETH CHILDS DEAN CAMERON
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT THE BOEING COMPANY
FINANCE | BOOKKEEPING PAM CAMERON
© Publisher Top Drawer Media
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from Northwest Aerospace News magazine - a Top Drawer Media Publishing company is strictly prohibited . Top Drawer Media does not accept liability for omissions or error in Northwest Aerospace News . Any and all advertising and other content submitted is assumed to have all the proper licenses and copyrights before submission . The content held without does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Northwest Aerospace News magazine . Northwest Aerospace News magazine does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality , accuracy , completeness , legality , or reliability . Northwest Aerospace News magazine is not responsible for the content or availability of any external or third party websites and does not warrant or guarantee the products , services or performance of any party shown by article or advertisement within the print magazine or our website .
Workforce … workforce … workforce !
NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS

PUBLISHER

DEAN CAMERON

Our aerospace workforce is the primary subject of conversation these days , it seems . At every symposium , trade show , and networking event , it is the hottest topic today .
People often ask me what is causing this , and my answer is always the same .
Several years ago , the topic was the “ silver tsunami .” Many of us “ seasoned ” folks were retiring out and not enough youth were coming up to fill the workforce gap , let alone increased demand .
Then Boeing had MCAS . This caused several companies to lay off personnel and workers went elsewhere to keep feeding their families . The trifecta was completed with COVID-19 — resulting in more layoffs and more people exiting the industry .
Most workforce-related seminars talk about retention , corporate culture , and competitive pay as strategies for keeping the people you have — all very valid and correct . However , this labor deficiency is not a short-term issue . We need to inspire a younger audience to pursue a future in our industry . I tell my aerospace friends that all the great new technology we are seeing developed , will be matured for use by the 12-year-old of today . We had better start talking to the 12-year-olds !
Top Drawer Media wants to help bridge the gap between education and industry with a new magazine called Let ’ s Go Aerospace . This lively magazine has the middle school student in mind with fun , yet industry-educational content that kids would likely never see otherwise . Let ’ s Go Aerospace is designed to engage young , curious minds with the discoveries , possibilities and challenges inherent in our industry . You are welcome to visit our website and read the digital versions of our first three issues at https :// letsgoaerospace . com
The magazine is available by individual subscription , retail purchase in over 517 stores or by special bulk order should you , your company or your school like to help us grow a future workforce .
If you have feedback or ideas , we are open to exploring ways together to help build an excited new workforce in our beloved industry .
Sincerely ,
Dean Cameron Publisher dean @ topdrawermedia . com 509-995-9958
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