AIAA Releases Report On Building And Retaining Aerospace Workforce

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has released a report on strategies to strengthen the current and future aerospace workforce. Based on AIAA's May 2009 "Inside Aerospace Forum" for aviation and space leaders from around the world, the report notes the issues posed by an aging aerospace workforce, and sets out strategies to retain current aerospace professionals and to build the aerospace workforce of the future.

AIAA President Dave Thompson states "The 2009 Inside Aerospace Forum Report and Recommendations is a 'must read' publication for all those who are interested in continuing to strengthen the aerospace workforce and who are committed to a strong future for the global aerospace industry. The report identifies key areas where action must be taken, and offers effective and practical solutions that can be implemented across all strata of the community to ensure that aerospace remains a strong, vibrant sector of the world economy."

Topics explored by the report include:

• The effect of the educational and social environment on the workforce and the changes that must be made to retain the current workforce.
• Obstacles and solutions in employee recruitment and retention, and how employers must implement immediate solutions to stem the decline in the workforce.
• Increasing the exposure of aerospace to the general public to inspire students to become a part of the next generation of aerospace.
• Increasing gender and racial diversity in the aerospace workforce.

The report critically examines the role that the entire aerospace community must play in strengthening the current workforce and in inspiring the next generation of aerospace engineers. It stresses that developing solutions to the current challenges of retention and inspiration are the responsibility of all members of the aerospace community - from corporate human resources offices and senior management to individual engineers and scientists - and must involve educators and other interested professionals to ensure success. It is available for download online.

FMI: www.aiaa.org/events/insideaerospace