business backgrounder | education & workforce
Swift Success
Careers in composites are hot. The Composites Washington
alliance is helping fill the pipeline with skilled workers.
Malia Jacobson
Heady growth in the composites industry, driven by a demand for light, strong, fuel-efficient
building materials for industries including aerospace, defense, and transportation, is creating
new career paths for students at Washington’s community and technical colleges.
Career-minded students looking for a growth industry with
a promising future, take note: the composites industry is
booming, and in need of skilled workers.
Composites are big business, here in the Pacific Northwest
and around the globe. Per global market research firm Lucintel,
the industry is projected to grow nearly 7 percent annually and
reach $35.1 billion by 2019.
In Washington, robust growth is driven largely by the
aerospace industry and its need for light, durable building
materials that boost fuel efficiency, said Mary Kaye Bredeson,
executive director of the Center of Excellence for Aerospace
& Advanced Manufacturing, housed at Everett Community
College, near Boeing’s Everett Factory.
Boeing ’s manufacturing illustrates the rising
demand for composites: the 787 Dreamliner is made
of 50 percent composite materials and only 20 percent
aluminum, while its predecessor, the 777, featured
just 12 percent composites and 50 percent aluminum.
composites primer
As the name suggests, composites are created when
two or more materials are fused to merge their
desirable qualities. The result is a new material that
is greater than the sum of its parts; fiberglass, an
early composite, pairs the strength of glass with the
durability of plastic.
at a glance
The composites industry is growing at
nearly 7 percent per year.
The industry faces challenges, including
training workers and instructors.
Community and technical colleges offer
a solid, skills-based career path
in composites.
Career opportunities range from
entry-level assembler positions to skilled
engineering jobs.
Composites Washington provides
professional development to help fill the
need for skilled workers.
Community and technical college representatives discuss advanced manufacturing training
during the Manufacturing Summit at the ShoWare Center in Kent.
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