UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the fourth time in six years, Penn State topped the list of preferred suppliers of engineering talent to the aerospace and defense industry, according to the Aviation Week 2016 Workforce Study.
The University also ranked fourth, up one spot from 2015’s study, in the Alma Mater by Young Professionals category, which ranks universities that young professionals, ages 35 and younger, believe are the most influential to their career success.
“Penn State’s continued success in developing students who are sought after by the aerospace and defense industry is a reflection of the high quality of our students and the achievements of the faculty to provide strong foundations in aerospace engineering,” said Philip Morris, interim head of aerospace engineering and Boeing/A.D. Welliver Professor of Aerospace Engineering.
According to Aviation Week, the workforce study surveyed 31 aerospace and defense industry companies and federally funded research centers, representing 66 percent, or 546,186 employees, of the sector’s total employment in the United States. A 10 percent random sample of young professionals from participating companies was used to create the list of alma maters.
The annual workforce study is designed to answer basic questions about the aerospace and defense industry's ability to meet ever-changing customer requirements through the innovation, ingenuity and capability of its people.