[Satellite News 05-04-09] The health of the U.S. national security space industrial base is being threatened by a shrinking aerospace workforce, according to an April 30 statement by Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Marion Blakey to the U.S. House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee.
   “We have very real concerns that, as the current generation ages and retires, we are not renewing the workforce to keep America at the forefront of technology development,” Blakey told the subcommittee.
   AIA helped coordinate a survey in 2008 which found that more than 60 percent of the aerospace workforce was age 45 or older, and many of them are near or have reached retirement. “Indicators show there are not sufficient high school and college students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics … to replace the generation of workers about to retire. And the shortfall of experienced workers age 35 to 40 calls into question the ability of our industry to meet the U.S. Defense Department’s needs,” Blakey said.
    AIA has yet to release its 2008 employment report, but it estimates that the aerospace workforce would hit a year-end mark of 655,500 employees — an increase of 10,000 jobs, AIA spokeswoman Alexis Allen told Satellite News.
   According to an AIA report released in December, “Launching the 21st Century American Aerospace Workforce,” the increase of industry employment and strength in 2008 can be attributed to robust sales, which AIA expects to total about $204.4 billion after 2008 is calculated.
   However, Blakey’s concerns over the future aerospace workforce reflect a long-standing campaign of the organization. In her testimony to the House subcommittee, Blakey noted other concerns such as outdated export control rules and a cumbersome defense acquisition system. “The United States used to dominate the global satellite export market until the rules changed about 11 years ago that put commercial satellites on the U.S. munitions list. As a result, our share of the export market dipped from about 70 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2005. Now, those who know the details of the change know that the intention was good, but clearly the results have been disastrous and directly impact the industry’s ability to provide the equipment our warfighters rely upon,” she said.
     In her testimony, Blakey pitched AIA’s recommendations to improve the space industrial base include to the House subcommittee, which include an increase in support investment in science and education national priorities, the re-evaluation of export controls on commercial communications satellites and other space technologies, and the installation of management practices that promote requirements stability and accurate cost estimating.