Aerospace in Europe – The “gray to green” transition

Aerospace and defense is facing a talent crisis as its workforce ages. Attracting and retaining younger employees will require a radical new approach.

Globally, the A&D sector faces multiple challenges as it attempts to attract younger or “green” employees to companies in which the workplace often skews “gray” and in which many of the most valued staff members are approaching their retirement years. While the United States leads on this trend with about one-third of industry employees aged 55 or older,2 in Europe, it’s closer to about one-fifth of the industry. A significant proportion of the A&D workforce is aged 50 to 54, however—approaching the retirement window. This trend is present among both highly skilled manufacturing trades and advanced technical engineering professions. In the context of broader labor challenges across Europe, this presents a significant risk to the ability to deliver on future, growing industry demand (Exhibit 1).

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @  European aerospace companies: A coming workforce transition | McKinsey