GE Aerospace Foundation Commits $1 Million to Aviation Workforce Training as North Texas Firms Compete for Workers
Why It MattersCompetition for skilled labor is pushing rival aerospace manufacturers to coordinate on training pipelines, making technician and maintenance staffing a shared constraint across commercial and business aviation in the region.
Aviation and aerospace employers in North Texas are competing for a limited pool of workers, industry experts said at an Axios Live event held at Dallas Executive Airport on Wednesday. The need for workers extends beyond air traffic controllers and pilots and spans both commercial and business aviation, and some companies are trying to reach prospective talent as early as elementary school.
GE Aerospace, which sponsored the event, announced that its foundation will spend $1 million on workforce training to build a stronger talent pipeline into the industry. The funding will support efforts such as adding instructors at Dallas College and boosting enrollment in the aviation maintenance technician labs at Tarrant County College.
Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas CEO Laura Ward said aviation jobs pay well and tend to be stable, but the industry is not always top of mind for job seekers looking to move out of other fields. GE Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Bell are collaborating more with one another and with local community colleges to address the gap. Michael Patton, a vice president at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said the region has a huge workforce but also many competitors for it, and that companies can no longer think of themselves only as competitors.
