- Every CEO is asking the same question: Where is the next generation of mechanics, pilots, and engineers coming from?
- Every student is asking: How do I start?
- Every parent is asking: How do I pay for it?
The National Coalition for Aviation & Space Education is launching a new membership campaign to support its mission of answering these questions and to ease the burden of exploring our careers.
This effort, in collaboration with many other aviation/education organizations, will act as a funnel, organizing all the great programming into a searchable website enabling students to identify their local aviation/aerospace education ecosystem and develop an Early-Learning-to-Career Pipeline the industry has needed for 40 years.
“With the advent of a new website, crowdsourcing programs not yet listed, promoting aviation and aerospace careers, NCASE is ready to bring the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force recommendations to fruition, four years after it was published,” said NCASE President Kathryn Creedy. “Despite decades of efforts to promote aviation/aerospace careers, we have critical workforce shortages that threaten growth. More importantly, we are leaving trillions in revenues on the table for our aviation, aerospace and defense manufacturers for lack of that workforce. It is time to act and by collaborating with the best of the best in aviation/aerospace education already delivering the workforce, so we can take the frustration out of exploring our careers.”
Three-part Series: Workforce Shortage Stunting Industry Growth, Costing Billions
Membership levels are based on the size of the company, school or the membership organization. We have a special Legacy membership discount of 20% for those who have been a part of NCASE for years.
NCASE founders included Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, Federal Aviation Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Business Aviation Association, National Aeronautics Association, National Air Transportation Association and General Aviation Manufacturers Association. NCASE hopes they will rejoin to help create the Early-Learning-to-Career Pipeline being planned.
Exploring Careers Is Difficult
After discussing career exploration with educators, parents and guidance counselors, NCASE found there was no single resource for exploring our careers despite having dozens of great programs that extend into local communities. Education programs support the need for a one-stop-shop website. The seed money from the membership drive will expand the website and increase the visibility of great aviation/aerospace education programming while promoting careers at a national level.
“There are many great resources, but they offer only a snapshot of a segment of the industry,” Creedy reported. “We found career explorers and educators are tossed all over the internet like a pin ball to learn about getting started. We are now delivering what they asked for in honing their expertise in aviation/aerospace career pathways.”
Most education programming exists in silos which need to be eliminated in favor of becoming a valued resource on aviation/aerospace career pathways in our local communities.
Education Resources Need Promotion
By partnering with the National Coalition for Aviation & Space Education educators, parents and guidance counselors have instant access to free educational programs, complete databases for scholarships, aviation schools, high school programs, universities and trade schools. Education partners can submit their programs and events to be listed. Links go directly to free curricula including the AOPA High School STEM Curriculum, Choose Aerospace and the Space Foundation. There are also links to great kid’s publications designed to inspire and build their interest in pursuing our careers.
“We are competing against every industry to develop, attract and retain the workforce at a time when we are in population decline,” said Creedy, “but they are out-competing us including paying for training. We need to up our game on the visibility of our education programs and careers especially since state-level economic and workforce development officials have all identified aviation and aerospace as key economic drivers and funding training programs.”
The Programs Database on the NCASE site already connects to great resources from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration as well as the great membership organizations like Women in Aviation, Organization for Black Aerospace Professionals, Latino Professionals in Aerospace and the other member groups already inspiring kids and guiding them on their career pathway.
Adding your program will build it out into the postal-code searchable resource we are planning.
Join NCASE today to help build the Early-Learning-to-Career Pipeline and access the programming that delivers our future workforce.
