Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 10 | Page 60

SCHOLARSHIPS:
A Community Endeavor Enabling Students to Soar to Success
F
Fiona McKay
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
Deputy Executive Director
www.pnaa.net
PNAA SPOTLIGHT
By Fiona McKay, Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, Deputy Executive Director
or ten years the PNAA community has been impacting students from across the Pacif-
ic Northwest by supporting them with scholarships. As the skills gap in aerospace grows
it is more important than ever before to step up our pursuit of encouraging and enabling
more and more people to enter the field of aerospace. Small efforts on the part of the
aerospace community and manufacturers can have a big impact on this endeavor. Read
on to find out more about successes to date and how you can get involved in supporting
the workforce of the future.
The Case for Scholarships and STEM
Barely a day goes by without something being published on the skills gap facing the aerospace industry. With soaring
production rates and an ageing workforce, the demand for talent far outstrips supply. The problem is no longer just an HR
issue, but a company-wide issue – one that keeps company leadership awake at night. Whilst the issue is complex, access to
education and encouragement is one of the contributing factors to the problem – and underlying that is affordability. Schol-
arships are an essential component to breaking this cycle and are shown to have a disproportionately positive influence when
compared to the costs.
Embarking on a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) can be an extremely exciting and rewarding
experience. However, it is not for the faint hearted. Various studies cite the additional burden in the number of hours worked
by those studying for STEM qualification. And at many institutions, students can also expect a higher price tag. Couple
this with ever-increasing tuition fees, a decline in public funding and the rising cost of living and it’s easy to understand why
some may abandon this pursuit – and in some cases their dreams.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS