GE Aerospace Foundation plans to invest $1 million to support industry workforce training efforts across Alabama through its workforce program, Lifting Futures.
The initial investment will support three local partners during 2027 to increase career awareness, prepare entry-level workers, improve program completion and strengthen regional coordination. The goal of the program is to train 10,000 workers for the aerospace industry by 2030.
“Alabama’s role in aerospace and defense manufacturing makes having a skilled workforce critical to our country. Lifting Futures will help more people get the training they need to build a career in this industry,” said Christian Meisner, chief human resources officer at GE Aerospace and chair of the GE Aerospace Foundation.
Through a series of community meetings this summer, civic and industry leaders found that there was limited awareness of career opportunities and lower training completion rates than desired.
To address these concerns, Southern Union State Community College will host a free bootcamp to prepare students for entry-level jobs in aerospace and advanced manufacturing. The Auburn-Opelika region will increase awareness through no-cost training and hiring opportunity events led by the city of Auburn Industrial Development Board. The Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce plans to expand the worker pipeline in support of an expected increase in manufacturing jobs.
Lifting Futures will provide subscriptions tp Let’s Go Aerospace magazine to all public middle school libraries in Lee and Montgomery counties, in an effort to educate students on the opportunities in the aerospace industry.
Additional investments for these and other recipients will occur through the Lifting Futures program.
GE Aerospace and its foundation have supported more than 20 workforce programs, helping nearly 10,000 individuals since 2024, including a $100,000 donation to Calhoun Community College in Huntsville in 2024.
