Oct. 18, 2018
The Boeing Company is considering whether to launch a new airplane program – dubbed the New Mid-Market Airplane (NMA). Will it be built in Washington or somewhere else?
The Choose Washington NMA Council, composed of elected officials and representatives from business, labor, education, and economic development, is working to make sure Washington is selected as the site for design, production and assembly of the new airplane.
 Washington’s business, labor, and government leaders have long recognized the importance of investing in education and workforce training. Millions of dollars are invested annually in aerospace-related programs at community and technical colleges, four-year institutions and K-12 schools to train top aerospace talent for employers across the state.
As a result, Washington has the largest cluster of skilled aerospace workers in the country – a fact recently confirmed by Teal Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers studies.
The NMA Council identified education and workforce training as an urgent priority, establishing a Workforce Development Work Group in March.
Led by Chelsea Orvella, SPEEA, and Dr. David Beyer, President, Everett Community College, the Work Group assessed current investments in the aerospace talent pipeline and developed a comprehensive strategy to meet current and projected industry needs.
The NMA Council’s education and workforce strategy is set to be released later this month.
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Championed by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-2), a bipartisan five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) re-authorization bill is now in effect. Long-term FAA re-authorization was a key federal legislative priority for the NMA Council.
In addition to supporting small community airports, worker protections, and the safety of the traveling public, the bill will invest heavily in Washington’s aerospace economy.
New opportunities for Washington include:
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Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force – to develop recommendations on encouraging high school students to enroll in aviation manufacturing, maintenance and engineering apprenticeships.
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Aviation Workforce Development Program – $5 million in competitive grant funding will be available annually to support pilot education and recruitment of aviation maintenance workers.
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Groundwork for the safe and swift integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into the national aerospace and advanced UAV operations.
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Continued funding for the FAA Joint Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials, housed at the University of Washington.
 Assistant Director of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness Chris Green shared the governor’s efforts to strengthen the aerospace industry.
The Aerospace Futures Alliance held its 13th Annual Aerospace Summit at the Lynnwood Convention Center last week. Over 350 attendees engaged with the theme Being Bold in the Age of Innovation. Keynotes by Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, and Matt Knapp, Aero Chief Engineer of Zunum Aero, highlighted the state’s leadership in emerging aerospace technologies.
Leaders from The Boeing Company, Alaska Airlines, Zodiac and Orlady Associates spoke to the power of engaging women in aerospace careers. Nationally, only 5 percent of all pilots are women while only 7,400 women worldwide are pilots at commercial airlines, according to Forbes. Panelists encouraged businesses to be intentional in their engagement and promotion of women in aerospace.
Led by AFA President and CEO Kelly Maloney, industry leaders were honored for their service to the state’s aerospace economy:
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Rob Gibbs, the president of Esterline Korry Electronics, was named executive of the year.
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Crane Aerospace and Electronics won company of the year for its contributions to developing strategies and tactics for aerospace workforce development, education and training.
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Zunum Aero was named aerospace innovator of the year.
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Ryan Tomasich, a senior manager of government operations with The Boeing Company, was the first recipient of AFA’s “Next Gen Award” recognizing an emerging leader.
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AFA also named Washington state Rep. Kristine Reeves and Rep. Terry Nealey as its legislators of the year.
 The space industry’s contribution to the Washington state’s economy is $1.8 billion with more than 6,000 jobs and is growing, according to a new report.
“The central Puget Sound region is already a worldwide leader in aerospace and information technology, and we plan on being a world leader in the space industry as well,” said Terry Ryan, a member of the Snohomish County Council and president of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Economic Development Board, which released the report.
The report, titled “Washington State Space Economy,” highlights the role of Blue Origin, the space venture created by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, that is headquartered in Kent. Blue Origin’s workforce has already reached past the 1,500-employee mark.
The report also highlights the work of Boeing and other ventures such as Spaceflight Industries and Tethers Unlimited located around the state.
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You bet it does! More than 250,000 Washington state jobs depend on aerospace.
Invite the NMA Council to your community to learn more and how you can help. Request a Council member to visit by sending a request to: nma@choosewashingtonstate.com or call 206-971-3051.
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