With an ageing workforce, the aerospace industry faces a potential shortage of engineering staff. Can innovative new approaches enthral a new generation?
Encouraging young people to consider science and technology careers in general, and aerospace jobs in particular, is a growing priority for companies in the sector.
Raytheon, for example, both in the USA and UK, is running or promoting a series of initiatives aimed at increasing the numbers of students pursuing technical courses and careers.
The aerospace industry is facing a potential shortfall in engineers, as the workforce is ageing, with fewer people entering the field at the bottom than are leaving it at the top.
“Everyone in this industry is aware there are huge gaps in it – and always have been to some extent,” says Raytheon UK community relations manager Julie Tompkins, “but it is getting a little bit out of proportion.”
In the USA, Raytheon is heavily involved with initiatives such as the recent National Engineers Week, which highlights the achievements of engineers and provides various engineering contests and challenges that young people and the public can contribute to.
It also sponsors events such as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, aimed at redressing the gender imbalance in the technical workforce; and is providing an additional prize – a trip to this years Farnborough air show – for the winners of this years Team America Rocketry Challenge.
In the UK, Raytheon is sponsoring Farnborough’s International Youth Day and contributes to various initiatives targeted at schools, such as the Schools Aerospace Challenge, an aircraft design and engineering competition; and, for younger children, the Professor Bonkers programme, which introduces scientific concepts in a fun, colourful way.
This week, Raytheon is also participating in a careers roadshow near its office in Harlow, UK.
Aimed at Year 10 pupils (14-15 year olds), the event gives Raytheon and other companies a chance to raise awareness of what they do. “A lot of these kids don’t have a clue what our business is about,” says Tompkins. “Events like this are definitely key to trying to get more into that age group. You have to go in at a young age to sow the seeds.”
After establishing these links with schools and younger people, the company is examining ways to forge closer contacts with the next step up. “We are looking to get into some of the universities on the technical side and see what they’re doing and if we can help them,” says Tompkins.
“There are a lot of cases of people doing engineering degrees and then going into unrelated fields, such as finance. We need to ask why they are doing that. Is it a perception thing?”
Source: Flight International
