1. Reaching Out to the Next Generation – Rocky Mountain AIAA Young Professionals Outreach Strategy and Highlighed Activities - DRAFT
Paul M. Anderson
Rocky Mountain AIAA Chairman
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company – Orion Program Avionics Director
AIAA Regional Leadership Conference
September 2-3, 2015

2. Reaching Out to the Next Generation – Some “Facts”
*Recent Aviation Week & Space Technology Survey “Facts”
800,000+ Employees in US Aerospace/Defense (A&D) Industry – Average Age: 47 (24% Over 60)
2014 A&D Retirement Rate: 1.7% - Not Translating into Large “Over 55” Aerospace Workforce Exodus…
2014 A&D Voluntary Attrition Rate: 5.7% (But 67% of these are YP’s with 0-5 Years of Experience)
2014 “New” US A&D Positions: ~53,000 - But only ~10% are Directly from Colleges/Universities (Goal >30%)
Summary of YP “Career Motivators”:
Having “Technically Challenging” Work - Be Able to Significantly Contribute to High Visibility Programs
Knowledge Transfer and Mentoring – Feeling Connected to the “Senior” Workforce Leadership and to the Broader Aerospace Community
To be Individually Valued and Recognized
To Experience Workforce Flexibility - Changing “Tasks” every Months…
*Information Provided at July, 2015 AIAA Propulsion & Energy Conference
Workforce Development Panel - (4) Keynote Speakers from Government, Academia & Industry
Dynamic Employee Engagement is Key to Future Workforce Success

3. Rocky Mountain AIAA Young Professionals (YP) “Needs”
Orion Program YP Engagement Survey Showed a High Overall Positive Experience
Opportunities to Contribute Beyond “Day to Day” Assignments is a Major Key to YP’s Morale Engagement and Retention
Giving a Lot (vs. a Little) of Responsibility and Accountability Early Goes a Long Way with YPs
Incorporate YPs into the Work Team Immediately - Engage (and Hold Them) to be Accountable!
Error on the Side of Giving them “too much work”
Involvement in Broad Industry Initiatives the Start – Give YPs the “Bigger Picture” Faster
Dynamic Environments Promotes Team Synergy and Stimulates Growth in all Employees Involved
Stagnation is the Enemy of Too Much for New Hires – Don’t Let it Happen!
“Hands-On” YP Work Experiences and “Lessons Learned” Increases Involvement and Morale
Orion EFT-1 Launch “Experiences” Noted
Incorporation of More Efficient Knowledge Transfer and “Mentoring” Systems
Dedicate Experienced Personnel who are “Teaching Types” vs. “Doing Types” to YPs
Create a Dynamic Work Environment that Promotes Rapid Growth and Learning YPs
Dynamic Employee Engagement is Key to Our Future Workforce Success

4. Rocky Mountain AIAA Overview
RM AIAA Key Membership / Participation Strategic Efforts:
Increased STEM (K-12) and YP Events
Increased Participation at 2015 Annual Technical Symposium (ATS) Conference

5. 2014-15 YP Event Highlight: iFLY Skydiving
AIAA-RM YP section negotiated reduced rate with iFly for a large group.
Event included skydiving, iFLY wind tunnel tour, and happy hour.
Qty 20 Young Professionals attended. Word got out about what a great time they had, and there were several requests for a follow up event including the entire section.

6. 2014-15 YP Event Highlight: Apollo 13 Movie Night
Used CAT III funds to offer free admission to the movie with a $10 minimum food/drink dinner purchase.
Advertised the event at local aerospace companies and encouraged people to “bring a friend”.
No AIAA membership required to participate. Used the event as a recruitment tool, highlighting the benefits of AIAA.
> Qty 80 participants. The event was a hit!

7. 2014 RM AIAA Annual Technical Symposium (ATS)
185 Participants w/ 50+ Young Professionals/Students
48 Technical Presentations on Cutting-Edge Aerospace Topics
4 Panels with Diverse Industry & Civil Sector Support
Sponsored by Major ASE Companies in the Region

8. 2015 RM AIAA Annual Technical Symposium (ATS)
ATS 2015 hosted at Colorado School of Mines
Aim to boost attendance for 2015 ATS Conference to 225+ with a focus on Young Professionals in ASE/ME careers
Gain significant participation from CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado State University (on track!)
Maintain Relationships with Sponsors and Form New Ties

9. Summary
Young Professional Engagement is Key to RM AIAA’s Strategic Effort to Increase its Overall Membership and Retention in
A “Variety” of Events are Planned to Help Meet these Needs
“Individual” Focused
“Team” Focused
“Industry” Focused
Dynamic Employee Engagement is Key to the Success of the Entire Aerospace Future Workforce!