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Aerospace industry faces problems in finding young talent
By Volker K. Thomalla
Despite the delivery slippages on the big programmes like A380, Boeing 787 and A400M, aerospace as an industry is doing well. Civil aviation in particular is enjoying pronounced growth. The order books for commercial aircraft are full – fuller than ever before in the history of aviation, and the forecasts suggest that demand will continue to grow. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicted annual growth of 5.1 percent in passenger numbers and 4.8 percent in cargo volume in its forecast published at the end of October. Without new aircraft, this growth cannot be handled.
Yet a problem that massively threatens the ability of European industry to compete is slowly emerging: the shortage of engineers and technical staff. Today's shortage is due to growth in the aerospace industry, but the problem is set to intensify in the future due to demographic trends. The German population for example is in decline, there are fewer and fewer young people.
Other factors which contribute to the shortage of skilled personnel are attributable to action taken by the industry itself not that long ago. Consolidation of the industry combined with massive job cuts have engendered an impression of insecurity which has deterred new entrants to the labour force from taking up a career in aerospace. As a result, considerable numbers of engineers with degrees in aeronautical engineering have drifted away into the wind and solar energy industries, where secure jobs with good prospects have been on offer.
Another reason why there is a shortage of aeronautical engineers is down to schools and universities, which did not create the framework conditions necessary to enthuse young people in this demanding discipline.
A danger foreseen is a danger averted. It is therefore imperative that industry, universities and research establishments take countermeasures using all the powers at their disposal. In this connection the work of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), which is trying to arouse interest in scientific topics among schoolchildren through its school labs, deserves a special mention. Girls Days such as are held regularly at Airbus as well are another measure by which the aerospace industry can arm itself in the fight for qualified staff. The future of the industry depends not just on the market but also on whether industry has the capacity necessary to serve the markets.
From FLUG REVUE 12/2007
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