| Education & Training Day |
Background:
The aerospace industry, comprised of over 400 companies, employs 70,000 people and contributes $12.5B to Oklahoma’s economy each year. The companies are engaged in many facets of the industry including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering and modification; supply chain management and manufacturing; and applied technologies. A common ingredient across the industry is the need for a well-educated, trained, skilled and motivated workforce. The workforce includes mechanics with technical skills ranging from sheet metal to sophisticated avionics technologies, business and program managers, engineers and information technology managers. All of these careers require an understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The understanding and application of STEM is something that can only be developed over many years beginning in elementary school and continuing through college. In order to achieve the goal of a well-educated and trained workforce, a partnership among the leaders of the aerospace industry and educational institutions must be developed and sustained.
Purpose:
The need for a partnership between industry and education led to the creation of the Aerospace Education and Training Day (ETD) in conjunction with the annual Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo in 2008. The goal of ETD is to introduce teachers from grades 3 through 12 and school counselors to the opportunities in aerospace industry careers and to provide teaching and training materials for use in the classroom. The teachers and counselors are referred to as Aerospace Fellows. To date, over 160 Fellows have participated in ETD. Volunteer mentors from aerospace companies are aligned to the individual teachers or to schools or centers in order to provide expertise and advice about the aerospace industry. Relationships and activities are determined by the mentor and the Fellow and can include classroom visits, lectures, field trips and guest speakers. The desired effect is for the Fellow to be able to improve his or her knowledge of the aerospace industry through learning at the ETD and the relationship with a mentor. Ultimately, if the program is a success, more young men and women will consider the aerospace industry as a potential career. ETD has been a success for the last two years and a third event is planned for June 2010.
Plan:
On June 3, 2010, ETD will kick off with an industry presentation on the second day of the Aerospace Summit. That evening a reception will be hosted by an aerospace company or organization. The following day, ETD events will be held on the campus of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. The agenda will consist of a kickoff speaker, a panel discussion, displays and interface discussions, a lunch program, breakout sessions and a closing. One hundred new Fellows will be invited to the 2010 ETD. Each Fellow is awarded a stipend and is provided a hotel room and meals. Funding for ETD is about $40,000 each year from industry sponsorships.
Help Needed:
Sponsors and mentors are the two critical needs every year. We need a strong partnership if the goals of ETD are to be met. Those who will benefit the most, our Oklahoma aerospace leaders, need to sign up for both financial and mentor support. An early start to these critical needs will improve the success of the 2010 ETD. The ETD Planning Committee met for the first time on August 10. Meetings will continue to be bi-monthly until a need to meet more often is necessary.
Scholarships:
