Paper Session III-A - The Crisis in Human Capital

If the United States is to regain the competitive edge, retain leadership in the international aerospace arena and achieve the national aerospace goals, we must have more well qualified scientists and engineers entering the workforce as well as the highly qualified technicians necessary to design, build, operate and maintain our aerospace hardware. The nation\u27s educational system is not keeping pace with this demand for scientists and engineers. The necessary workforce will not be available unless prompt action is taken to ensure it. This paper reviews shortfalls in our educational systems today, showing where the U.S. stands relative to the rest of the industrialized nations. The complex dimensions of these issues are discussed as well as initiatives that are in work around the country in an attempt to counteract some of the problems. The roles of aerospace workers as individuals and aerospace companies as major stakeholders in the nation\u27s future are addressed. Some of the more effective approaches to the enhancement of our educational system which could be supported by the aerospace community are highlighted