Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thanks, Tonya [Sudduth]. Good afternoon, everyone. It’s a great day for me.

I love getting outside of the Beltway, and seeing the tremendous innovation that’s happening in aerospace all over the country.

As the FAA’s Deputy Administrator, it seems like every day I receive an invitation to see something great – a drone flight, a rocket launch, an air taxi demo, an infrastructure project – the kinds of things that will change the way we live and work. 

That’s what aerospace is all about -- always looking to innovate, to evolve, and to reach greater heights. 

And that is what is happening here today with you making Wichita your U.S. Headquarters for your defense, flight testing, and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul businesses.  

Despite the setbacks of the pandemic, the aerospace industry is booming. And there’s going to be a lot of job positions to fill. 

We’re going to need new pilots, air traffic controllers, airway safety specialists, aviation maintenance technicians, safety inspectors, drone pilots and engineers.

And that’s just scratching the surface. We’re going to need cybersecurity specialists, data analysts, social media specialists and countless other professionals. 

Aerospace didn’t need all of these kinds of skills one or two decades ago, and certainly not six decades ago when Bill Lear came to Wichita. 

But we do now. So the FAA is helping to build a highly skilled and diverse future workforce for aerospace.

We’re reaching out in an equitable way, so we can attract the best and brightest people from all walks of life. 

When an organization has people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, they can look at things from every angle, make better decisions, innovate at greater rates, and solve problems faster. 

In January, the FAA awarded $10 million in grants to develop the next generation of pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. And we’ll be accepting applications for another round of these grants later this year.  

Also, we have a robust STEM and space education program. Through the FAA’s Adopt-A-School program, we have teamed up with several schools from underserved and underrepresented communities across the country, introducing 4th graders to aerospace topics and concepts.

And we’re reaching out in countless other ways too. 

For me, a high school internship started my career in transportation. For others, maybe it’s an apprenticeship, or a job fair, or the military. 

As an aerospace community, let’s work together – industry, government, non-profits, and academia – and develop creative pathways so that more people can seize career opportunities in this exciting field. 

I’m pleased that Bombardier will be hosting an open house for the U.S. Headquarters here next week so that job applicants can meet with recruiters.

And I look forward to seeing Bombardier build on its innovation here in Wichita in the years ahead.

Thank you!