On May 12, the House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing on the innovation and workforce needs of the aviation and aerospace industries. While this hearing spoke broadly of the challenges that aviation and aerospace small businesses are facing, CTE and apprenticeships were consistently highlighted as critical to the health and success of these industries.
The hearing featured four expert witnesses:
- Eric Fanning, President & CEO of Aerospace Industries Association
- M.L. Mackey, CEO of Beacon Interactive Systems on behalf of the National Defense Industrial Association
- Blake Scholl, Founder & CEO of Boom Technology, Inc.
- Judy Burns, President of Patriot Machine
In the opening statements, Chairman Jason Crow (D-CO) and Ranking Member Young Kim (R-CA) both emphasized the critical state of the labor shortage in the aviation industry. Ranking Member Kim (R-CA) referenced a study that stated the United States will lose half of its pilots to retirement in 15 years and that the skills gap in manufacturing and maintenance has caused a loss of 2 million jobs that would otherwise be available to be filled by qualified workers. Chairman Crow (D-CO) pointed to the recent Federal Aviation Administration and National Defense Act reauthorizations, which both provided grants for technical training related to aviation and aerospace careers.
One consistent theme throughout the witness testimony was the critical role that CTE and apprenticeship opportunities play in preparing workers in this industry. Mr. Fanning, who was formerly the Secretary of the Army, urged Congress to expand federal support for CTE in order to grow the STEM workforce, reskill workers for emerging industries, and promote diversity and inclusion. Similarly, Ms. Burns, the founder and owner of an aerospace small business, specifically pointed out community college programs with a technical focus as a critical place to direct federal funds. Ranking Member Kim (R-CA) used the hearing as an opportunity to highlight an apprenticeship program at San Bernadino Valley College as a model for success in expanding work-based learning in these industries.
Further, legislators and expert witnesses both mentioned the need for exposure to aviation and aerospace careers as early as elementary school. Mr. Fanning and Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) agreed that focus should be given to making these career pathways more visible, including those that require CTE. Mr. Fanning noted that, as a country, we need to do a better job of explaining these CTE pathways to both parents and schools.
Its not a labor shortage, its a lack of pay. From someone with a degree in aviation management and working at multiple airports over the last eight years. There is a large gap in pay; with airlines reasoning that there is always overtime if you want more money. There needs to be a culture change if Airlines and Aviation as a whole wants to maintain growth and development.
Posted by: Alex | 05/21/2022 at 07:54 PM