There are pamphlets and posters and Power Point presentations explaining that the perception of manufacturing as greasy, backbreaking work no longer holds true.
But for local aerospace companies, all the marketing hasn’t been enough. The average age of their workforce is still over 50, and young people continue to view their facilities as a second-rate place to land a job.
So a rapidly expanding group of companies has begun sweetening the bait by offering one-year scholarships to Asnuntuck Community College for certificates in manufacturing and technology — and the chance to land well-paying jobs producing sophisticated jet engine components.
This school year, MTU Aero Engines, a German company with North American headquarters in Newington, gave out two such scholarships, worth $4,000 in tuition plus money for books and tools.
Next year, nine companies plan to give out 28 scholarships, a number that could rise as the school year approaches. Training, designed by the companies and sometimes taking place in their own facilities, includes skills like computer-aided design (CAD), blueprint reading, inspections and various machine usage.
“It’s very, very difficult to find skilled people in the market. And it doesn’t seem like the newest generation of kids is excited by these jobs, which is upsetting because they pay so well,” said Alain Berube, president and CEO of MTU Aero N.A.
MTU is in search of engineers, as well as machinists trained on equipment like CNC lathes.
Paid To Learn
Once selected for a scholarship by a company (with the help of Asnuntuck), students undergo nine months of training beginning in September, the first three as full-time students and the next six doing school and internships both part-time. They must maintain standards for attendance and grades.
When they finish, they have certificates in manufacturing and technology, 30 credits toward an associate’s degree and have earned thousands of dollars through their internships. MTU, for instance, pays its interns $11 per hour.
Scholarship recipients will also have a job ready for them in the $15 per hour range and the opportunity to take more company-sponsored classes down the road.
Frank Gulluni, director of manufacturing and technology for Asnuntuck, said response to the idea among local companies has been tremendous. Among others that have joined are Sterling Machine Co., in Enfield, Delta Industries, in East Granby and Flanagan Industries, in Glastonbury.
“It seems to have had a very, very positive response. Next year, I believe we’ll have 50 to 100 scholarships,” Gulluni said.
Paul Murphy, CEO of Sterling Machine, will fund at least four scholarships next school year. He said that after some trimming of the U.S. aerospace industry, the remaining companies are “bigger, stronger, more stable,” and ready to grow. He recently added 20,000 square feet of production space to the company’s Enfield facility and plans future expansion, provided he can find new workers.
“The buildings are easy to buy. The equipment is easy to buy. It’s the people that are difficult,” Murphy said.
But Murphy is willing to pay for them, too. He said immediately after the Asnuntuck program, the new hires will likely make between $15 and $16 per hour. Four years later they could make $21.34 per hour which, given a 55-hour work week, amounts to close to $70,000 per year.
“And they have no college loans,” he said.
Not only that, but Murphy said Sterling will pay for more education for employees as long as they like.
“If they want to get a Ph.D., they can go ahead and do it. We’ll pay for it,” he said.
That isn’t to say there isn’t any marketing left to be done.
With the scholarships to dangle, Asnuntuck and the aerospace executives are planning on pushing the offer beyond students to high school teachers and guidance counselors.
Two weeks ago, after getting the word out to local high schools, Asnuntuck held an open house that drew 40 potential scholarship seekers, ages about 18 to 30, along with educators and parents. Applicants undergo some math testing and the school will then suggest candidates to the companies.
Changing the perception of the industry has been a main focus of Aerospace Components Manufacturers, a group working to build and sustain the industry in Connecticut.
“Aerospace is a cyclical industry, and we’re clearly on an upswing,” said Allen Samuel, executive director.
He added: “Everybody is looking to hire.”
