More than one in four aerospace workers eligible to retire within 3 years 25 October 2005 [WASHINGTON, DC] - Seeking to revitalize an industry that could find itself in crisis in the very near future due to a rapid drain of workers, the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday approved the creation of a federal inter-agency aerospace revitalization task force.
The measure, introduced by Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers and approved unanimously by House members, will now go to the Senate for consideration. "Where will our future aerospace workers come from?" asked Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, who pointed out that 27 percent of the aerospace manufacturing workforce will become eligible for retirement during the next three years, while U.S. students currently rank near the bottom of industrialized countries in mathematics and science test performance. The 11-member panel mandated by the Ehlers bill (H.R. 758) will develop a comprehensive strategy to increase the number of students and workers who choose science, engineering and other aerospace-related careers. Led by the Department of Labor, the task force will also establish partnerships with industry, organized labor, academia, and state governments to coordinate aerospace career education and training programs.
"An industry so critical to the nation's economic and national security must have a reliable, long-term supply of technically-qualified workers," said Ehlers, noting that the aerospace industry leads the U.S. economy in net exports and supports nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. "I am grateful to all of my colleagues for recognizing that the federal government can play a dynamic role in harnessing the resources of both the public and private sectors to expand the number of students who choose aerospace careers." Ehlers noted that the aerospace industry's three core segments - national defense, civil aviation, and space systems - each make a unique contribution to sustaining the nation's global political and technological leadership. Citing the troubling statistics of retiring aerospace workers - due mainly to the coming-of-age of workers who joined the workforce during the Apollo mission to the moon - and American students' proficiency in math and science, the bipartisan Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry has noted that many aerospace companies are concerned about meeting their future workforce needs.
H.R. 758, which necessitates no new expenditures, requires the task force to submit annual reports to Congress on its workforce recommendations and initiatives.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, Contact Jon Brandt, Press Secretary (202) 225-3884, direct line E-mail: jon.brandt@mail.house.gov
