EVERETT, Wash. — One by one, the future of aerospace in western Washington filed into Boeing's Future of Flight Museum on Wednesday.
Among those leading the way was 12-year-old Weston Lavigueure.
Thirty middle schoolers from Snohomish County visited the museum for a hands-on learning session involving aeronautics, robotics, aviation, electronics and manufacturing.
The eighth graders flew drones, practiced welding via virtual reality and wrote code that directed the movement of robots.
Inspiring stuff for kids like Lavigueure.
"It does get me pretty interested in it, just seeing all the options you can do," Lavigueure said.
According to Snohomish County, Boeing and Paine Field bring $60 billion to the Washington economy every year, supporting 158,000 jobs. But thousands of planes are on backlog and a skilled worker shortage is slowing recovery from the pandemic.
With post-pandemic graduation rates slipping, and a generation less likely to be as well off as their parents, will there be a young, educated workforce to keep the local aerospace industry growing?
"The kids need to be getting into the stream right now and asking themselves if they like 3-D printing, green fuels, manufacturing, engineering so that when they land and start looking for a job they're ready," said Dave Somers, Snohomish County executive.
Boeing is working to hire 800 people per month in the Puget Sound region.
Machinist union president Jon Holden said there will be plenty of opportunity for future generations.
Holden said increased production rates on the 737 and a fourth 737 line coming to Everett, along with more work on the 777X and emerging green technologies make aerospace a solid choice for young people with or without a college degree.
"I think if we do the work to share that information with young kids coming up, they'll be inspired to get into aerospace, as well," Holden said.
That's what events like the one at the Future of Flight are for.
And as Lavigueure sketched out the plans for his future, he liked what he saw in aerospace.
"It lets me see the different opportunities that are possible for me," Lavigueure said.