Lockheed Martin pledges to expand workforce

Marillyn A. Hewson, Lockheed Martin's chairman, president and CEO, has pledged that the company will create 8,000 new apprenticeship opportunities and invest US$5 million in vocational and trade programmes over the next five years. The announcement follows on from President Donald J. Trump signature of an executive order establishing the President's National Council for the American Worker.

The $5 million investment in vocational and trade programmes is part of Lockheed Martin's previously announced tax reform savings plan, which includes a $50 million investment in support of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) scholarships and a $100 million investment to expand employee training and educational opportunities over the next five years.

"The US aerospace and defence industry relies predominantly on an American workforce and is disproportionally impacted by the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers to fill critical jobs," said Hewson.

Hewson continued: "The president has raised this issue to a level of national urgency and we are ready to do our part. Lockheed Martin's pledge demonstrates our commitment to enacting workforce solutions that keep pace with technological innovation, preparing workers for the challenges of the 21st Century and helping to secure American prosperity and national security."

The president's newly formed council will develop and implement a national workforce strategy to address the growing skills gap in vocational workers' readiness for current jobs and careers of the future.

Consistent with the administration's goals and Lockheed Martin's workforce development priorities, the 8,000 new opportunities to upskill current and future employees will include:

• Internships available to high-school students for non-full-time aerospace and defense positions to learn and develop job-specific knowledge
• Rotation Programs available to newly hired employees that provide opportunities for rotational job experiences and leadership training
• Mid-Career Development Programs that offer continuous learning for mid-career employees to ensure their skills remain current with evolving job requirements and emerging technologies
• Technical Apprentice Programs that focus on a specific trade or skill and offer credentials along with the opportunity for employment post program completion

These initiatives will impact not only college-bound students, but also individuals interested in entering vocational trades, unemployed or displaced workers, and veterans, which make up 25% of Lockheed Martin's workforce.

The company has recently hired more than 1,800 new employees in the US in support of the F-35 programme, meeting a commitment made by Hewson in January 2017. Lockheed Martin also announced that it plans to create an additional 400 jobs at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility to support increased production on the programme. The announcement was made in conjunction with the Trump Administration's second Made in America day, which showcased a full-scale F-35 model on the South Lawn of the White House.