Work Force
Capitalize on our large supply of specialized labor, numbering more than 10,000 strong. Positions easily filled in West Virginia include:
- engineers
- machine operators
- inspectors
- testers and graders
- assemblers
- machinists
- mechanics
- service technicians
Expect to save an average of $3.5 million annually in payroll and related industry expenses in comparison to the top 10 regional competitor states. The average wage in West Virginia is just 72 percent of the national industry-wide average and 82 percent of the competitor-state average wage.
Formal and advanced employee training
The Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center at the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MAAC) meets the training needs of this growing state industry. The facility is located in the heart of West Virginia’s I-79 High Technology and Aerospace Corridor and offers associate degrees in aviation maintenance technology and bachelor’s degrees in aviation technology and aviation administration. West Virginia University offers degrees through the Ph.D. level in mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Advanced employee training and production technology using precision machining equipment is available through the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Flexible Manufacturing at four statewide locations, including one at the MAAC and one at Allegheny Ballistics Laboratory at Rocket Center. Advanced training in machining, sheet metal work and machine operation is available through the higher education system as well as numerous vocational schools and technical centers.
| Key Occupations Required |
% cluster employment |
W.Va.
Supply
|
| Grinding, lapping, polishing machine operators |
5.8% |
505 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers |
5.5% |
273 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers |
4.5% |
2558 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production workers |
3.2% |
3931 |
| Machinists |
3.1% |
2175 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
2.6% |
452 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators |
2.6% |
310 |
Source: Manufacturing and Distribution USA, Gale Research, Inc. West Virginia Occupational Projections, Bureau of Employment Programs, U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; WVDO analysis
Approach
To confirm the viability of the aerospace products industry as a target industry cluster for West Virginia, a comparative analysis of operating costs and profitability was prepared for a national average operating establishment in West Virginia versus the 10 surrounding and regional states considered to be our principal competitors: Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The national average operating establishment was based on industry average operating and financial characteristics derived from the most current Annual Survey of Manufactures published by the Census Bureau, Annual Statement Studies published by Robert Morris Associates and national input/output coefficients for various factor costs. This information was used to develop a detailed annual operating expense statement, which served as a baseline for estimating costs for West Virginia and the comparison states. These national baseline costs were adjusted by state-specific cost differentials for various factors (wage rates, utility rates, etc.) to derive operating costs for West Virginia and the comparison states.
|