Aerospace

Challenges full speed ahead

The Aerospace industry is just beginning to feel the pangs of its shrinking talent pool. The lack of qualified candidates has left many government-funded positions in aerospace engineering and science unfilled, leaving companies to play catch-up in the hunt for skilled, experienced professionals.

This situation is exacerbated by another problem slowly creeping up on this industry--the aging of the workforce. According to the Aerospace Industries Commission, the average age of an aerospace engineer is 54, and an extraordinary 30% will be eligible for retirement by 2008. Add to this the fact that fewer students are entering science and engineering disciplines, and you've got the recipe for a potential huge shortage of workers. Which means the ability to both attract and retain highly skilled workers will become paramount.

Image makeover?

Among engineers, the aerospace industry has always been regarded as cyclical. But perceptions of severe job instability have been growing, as consolidations and the end of the Cold War have brought about a shortage of defense contracts, forcing the industry to shed thousands of jobs. And this negative view of the industry isn't getting any better.

With these tough challenges ahead, we'll continue to provide our clients with the strategies and solutions to overcome any recruiting obstacles. Helping them build strong employer brands to counteract negative industry images and creative campaigns to bring in the talent.

Case Study Spotlight

High expectations,
high results
Pratt & Whitney was looking for 167 engineer hires...we got them 4,000 responses. Find out how >