How Aerospace Engineer Shortage Will Affect Global Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry as a whole is aging, especially the aerospace engineering workforce. The average age of anyone working in aerospace engineering is now past 50, and newcomers interested in the aerospace industry are not training in high enough numbers to replace them as they retire. Couple this factor with expanded growth across the aerospace industry and you’re looking at an eventual crunch when the demand for aerospace engineering employees greatly outweighs the supply.

There are some actions that partners can take across the aerospace industry, from manufacturers that hire designers to subcontractors offering their own design services, to prevent disaster from striking. Preparing now for the aerospace engineering crunch that is inevitable in the next few years will keep the aerospace industry growing towards it goals, both within and outside of the stratosphere.

Limiting Development in the Aerospace Industry

First, there’s a real chance that a lack of aerospace engineering labor to replace the aging workforce will lead to slower development. The aerospace industry is booming currently, but that boom is fragile and can end quickly as most of experienced aerospace engineering employees retire or move into other careers that are less demanding.

New innovations and advancements in aerospace design can’t occur with an undersized workforce of engineers that are overwhelmed with maintenance and repair requests. Some of the world’s biggest names in the aerospace industry are even experimenting with AI and neural networks to try and replace at least some of the need for human aerospace engineering labor.

Imbalances in Aerospace Engineering Representation

The countries with the highest demand for aerospace engineering labor are going to take extra steps to attract the best labor from across the planet. The aerospace industry is one of the most globalized manufacturing sector already, and a smaller pool of talent for the demanding work of aerospace engineering will only increase sourcing on a global scale.

Countries that are willing to sponsor skilled and qualified immigrants and offer them special support in integrating into their new homes will find themselves gaining a steady supply of aerospace engineering labor no matter how small the labor force shrinks. This may lead to certain parts of the European aerospace industry shrinking or growing out of proportion to the existing representation.

Poaching Engineers Away from the Aerospace Industry

Poaching among the biggest manufacturers and developers in the aerospace industry is only expected to increase as demand rises sharply for each new aerospace engineering. Expect to see employers scouting even the smallest engineering programs across Europe to find talent while they’re still relatively early in their educational career. Recruiting is already a major focus in the aerospace industry, but demand for experienced recruiting services that take the extra step will grow as the number of aerospace engineering experts available goes down.

Switching to Subcontracting for Aerospace Engineering Services

The primary statistics used to predict this lack of aerospace engineering labor focus on full-time employment and not any particular subcontracting or freelance services. While there may be fewer students graduating with degrees that qualify them for immediate hiring in aerospace engineering, subcontracting services continue to train other engineers in the necessary skills for aerospace design and development.

Turning to aerospace engineering subcontractors can help you grow despite difficulties in finding or attracting full-time and in-house talent. If you’re a subcontractor capable of offering aerospace engineering services, consider expanding your team now to prepare for the increase in demand for your skills.

Focusing on Aerospace Engineering Education

When you can’t find students already studying aerospace engineering, find interested but unqualified employees instead and offer them the education they need. Training your own aerospace engineering workforce may be your only option for building the development team you need to stay competitive within the aerospace industry. Adapting to the cutting edge of the aerospace industry may mean doing more for your workers to help them meet your needs as a company.

Globalizing the Existing Aerospace Engineering Workforce

Finally, the availability of co-working tools like private chat servers, advanced task tracking systems, and even augmented reality equipment are encouraging companies in the aerospace industry to look further and further from home for help. Aside from hiring full-time remote aerospace engineering employees, consider hiring subcontractors that already use these tools to stay in contact with their clients. Skills in virtual work tools are just as important as the training and experience of each individual aerospace engineering subcontractor that will eventually work on your projects.

European Subcontracting Network is ready to help you face the aerospace engineering crunch in multiple ways. Hire subcontractors that provide aerospace engineering services remotely, or look for consultants who can help you attract full-time aerospace engineering employees. Our listings cover aerospace industry subcontractors and consultants from across all of Europe, helping you find a local provider or explore the global market.