Industry Summary

The global aerospace industry is entering both an exciting and challenging time in the coming years as it flies headlong into issues such as climate change, rising air transport needs, engineering skills shortages, an ageing workforce and commercial space travel. The industry is already proving that it is set to meet these challenges and as it continues progress, so too will the employment landscape.

Facts and figures

The US still continues to lead the global aerospace market. Even after the events of September 11, which at the time forecasted a grim future for the aerospace industry, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) found that in 2006, total US deliveries surpassed $184 billion, up more than 8% from the previous year. Major manufacturing activity occurred in the civil aircraft sector. Long-term growth and progress of the industry in the US will depend on sufficient funding for R&D (particularly in aircraft modernisation projects), and the management of skilled professionals entering the industry to counter the impact of the ageing workforce.

The world’s second largest aerospace trader, the UK, similarly enjoyed a profitable year in 2006, with an increase of 5.5% to £20 billion according to the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The areas with greatest activity in the UK were maintenance, repair, overhaul and research and development. R&D has a steady foothold in UK aerospace, with investments in early stage research and technology having increased by 20% to £260 million last year and a total of £2.5 billion invested by the industry in R&D overall.

Job opportunities

Global aerospace manufacturer Airbus has predicted a 5.3% annual increase in passenger traffic until the year 2023, increasing the need for new and improved aircraft engines and related parts. This will ensure secure R&D and manufacturing job openings until well into the future.

Last year in the US, aerospace employment increased by 23,000, or 3.7% of the total aerospace workforce (approximately 635,000), with production workers counting for the highest increase. Looking ahead, the AIA projected that aerospace employment would continue to increase. Programmes such as the 7E7, the development of civilian use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the modernisation of air traffic control and new methods of securing air transport from terrorist activity will provide fascinating challenges for engineering and technical workers in the future. Major US manufacturing companies providing these opportunities will include Boeing, United Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International, Raytheon Company, EADS and Northrop Grumman.

In the UK, research by the aerospace recruiter Wynnwith has shown the number of R&D jobs has grown to take up 40% of the aerospace employment market. This is largely due to the increases in R&D investment and major projects occurring, such as Rolls Royce’s five-year, £95 million environmentally friendly engine research and technology programme. Environmentally friendly engines, more efficient airframes, alternative fuels and better understanding of aerodynamics and advanced materials were all cited as focal points for R&D activity in aerospace by the SBAC.

In Asia, Japan leads the aerospace market as it has the largest defence budget, but China and India are growing markets.

The future

While the US still leads the global aerospace market, foreign competitors are making ground. The EU’s ‘Vision for 2020’ aerospace plan, for which they established a goal for global leadership in civil aviation by 2020, is well underway, while in the US NASA’s and the Department of Defence’s combined investments in aeronautics R&D programs have contrarily been declining in recent years. However, US aerospace did take a turn for the better recently when the senate passed the NASA restoration amendment, granting NASA an additional $1 billion to the 2008 fiscal budget. The Federal Aviation Administration also topped their 2007 FY budget by $1 billion to $14 billion in 2008, with the mission to improve the nation’s air traffic control system. Ensuring that a highly-skilled workforce continues to enter the industry to drive it forward will be the top priority for aerospace companies now and in the future.