The GE Aerospace Foundation has donated $500,000 to the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America Program in North Carolina to support a new aircraft and power plant maintenance technician certificate program at Fayetteville Technical Community College near Fort Bragg.
The program is expected to launch next year and will provide training for service members transitioning out of the military, veterans, National Guard and reserve members, and military spouses.
“North Carolina was first in flight, and we are also the future of flight,” Democratic Gov. Josh Stein said when making the announcement at a press conference on Monday. “The state is synonymous with aviation and aerospace innovation. To maintain our reputation, we have to put in the work and make sure employees are ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow. I thank GE Aerospace for this important investment in our vets.”
North Carolina has more than 600,000 veterans and 91,046 active-duty service members. Military installations in the state include Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, Marine Corps Camp Lejeune, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Craven County.
North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, an Air Force veteran, stated that approximately 20,000 veterans transition out of the military in North Carolina each year, like she did in 2017.
Approximately 1,300 service members with aviation experience transition from active duty each year.
“At the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, one of our top priorities is to help service members and spouses transition successfully, connecting them to employers, educators, and entrepreneurs who recognize the value of their experience,” she said. “Programs like this one are how we keep that promise.”
Christian Meisner, GE Aerospace chief human resource officer and GE Aerospace Foundation chair, said the new effort will help service members returning to civilian life earn their FAA Airframe and Powerplant license, and that the program comes at a time when the industry is still short about 5000 Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanics. He said the donation is in addition to a $30 million flagship program the Foundation is launching to train 10,000 aerospace workers over the next five years.
The state’s aviation industry contributes $88 billion to North Carolina’s economy each year and supports over 427,000 jobs. With more than 400 aerospace companies located in the state,
The state’s aviation industry contributes $88 billion annually to the state’s economy, with over 400 aerospace companies and more than 427,000 jobs.
GE Aerospace has five facilities in North Carolina with over 2000 employees, 20% of whom are veterans.
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