With a significant workforce concentration in aerospace, automotive, and machinery and equipment manufacturing, the St. Louis region has the robust labor pool needed to support growing companies seeking a sustainable location to grow their business. The unique ecosystem supports manufacturing businesses at every level, from the shop floor to the C-suite.
- 331,073 total jobs within the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Supportive sectors to Aerospace Manufacturing
- The St. Louis region has nearly 4x more aerospace manufacturing employees than other similar sized markets, earning the region a ranking among the top 20 metros for aerospace employment.
- With a location quotient of 3.82, aerospace manufacturing is more than 2.5 times more concentrated in the St. Louis region compared to the national average
- Our aerospace manufacturing workers are five percent more productive than the national average.
- The region has a concentration in Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing and Nonferrous Metal Production and Processing with LQs of 2.2 and 3.0 respectively, providing an industry competitive advantage.
As new positions continue to open up in the region due to expansions underway by The Boeing Company, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., West Star Aviation and others, the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Taskforce is working to continue to grow the pipeline of workers with skills specific to the aerospace and aviation industry. The intent is to easily connect individuals to the tremendous career opportunities in this vibrant sector by helping them to identify and pursue the education, certificates and apprenticeships needed to be part of this exceptional workforce.
Educational Programs
| Program Name | Institution Name | Location | Aerospace core degrees and certifications | Program/Training for Secondary and Tertiary Jobs | Training Provider/Center of Excellence | Ages Open To | Contact | Title | Phone Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Programs | St. Louis University | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | College age and older | Sridhar Condoor, Ph.D. | Department Chair | sridhar.condoor@nullslu.edu | 314-977-8444 | ||
| The Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence | Belleville Township High School District #201 | Belleville, IL | ✓ | Grades 9 - 12 | Brian Mentzer | Superintendent | bmentzer@nullbths201.org | 618.222.8200 | ||
| The Center for Workforce Development | East Central College | Union, MO | ✓ | College age and older | Todd Tracy | Department Head | todd.tracy@nulleastcentral.edu | 636-649-5806 | ||
| Workforce Development Center | Moberly Area College | Moberly, MO | ✓ | College age and older | Kelsey Brown | Department Chair | kbrown@nullmacc.edu | 660-263-4100 | ||
| Workforce Development Center | Jefferson College | Hillsboro, MO | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | Lora Warner | Director | lwarner@nulljeffco.edu | 636-481-3223 | |
| Welding | Mineral Area College | Park Hills, MO | ✓ | College age and older | Laura Norris | Instructor | lnorris@nullmineralarea.edu | 573-518-2308 | ||
| Aviation Maintenance | State Tech | Linn, MO | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | Matt Fowler | Department Chair | matt.fowler@nullstatetechmo.edu | 573-897-5315 |
| Boeing Pre-employment training | St. Louis Community College | Ferguson, MO | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | Brittany Adams | Dean STEMb | badams128@nullstlcc.edu | 314-644-9286 |
| Workforce Development Center | Four Rivers Area Career Center | Washington, MO | ✓ | ✓ | High School | Jeanne Miller-Wood | Apprentiship | jeanne.millerwood@nullsdowmo.org | 636-231-2100 | |
| Soar Into STEM | Washington High School | Washington, MO | ✓ | High School | Dr Jennifer Kephart | Superintendent | jennifer.kephart@nullsdowmo.org | 636-231-2000 | ||
| NJROTC drones | Washington High School | Washington, MO | ✓ | High School | Sr Chief Nathan Hernandez | Commander | nathan.hernandez@nullsdowmo.org | 636-231-2200 | ||
| Flight Simulator Solutions | Bugeye Technologies | Union, MO | ✓ | ✓ | Any | Kyle Zick | President | sales@nullbugeye.com | 636-257-3530 | |
| Aerospace Design Engineering | LMI Aerospace Sonaca Group | Washington,MO | ✓ | ✓ | Any | Kevin Goossens | CEO | kgoossens@nullsonaca-na.com | 636-231-4200 | |
| Precision Aerospace Manufacturing | Enjet Aerospace | Washington,MO | ✓ | ✓ | Any | Bruce Breckenridge | CEO | info@nullenjetaero.com | 913-717-7396 | |
| Aeronautics | Saint Louis University - Aviation Science | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | College age and older | Stephen Magoc | Professor | stephen.magoc@nullslu.edu | 314-977-8333 | ||
| Coming in 2026 - Aviation Mechanincs | Collinsville Area Vocational Center | Collinsville, IL | ✓ | Grades 11-12 | Joe McGinnis | Director | jmcginni@nullcusd.Kahoks.org | 618-343-6141 | ||
| Master of Science Supply Chain Analytics Program | University of Missouri - St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | Haitao Li | Department Chair | lihait@nullumsl.edu | 314-660-8173 | |
| Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management | University of Missouri - St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | Haitao Li | Department Chair | lihait@nullumsl.edu | 314-660-8174 | |
| SOAR into STEM | Wings of Hope | Chesterfield, MO | ✓ | High School | Lee Ann Nolte | Education Programs Manager | leeann.nolte@nullwingsofhope.ngo | 636-778-5487 | ||
| ACE Academy - ORGANIZATION OF BLACK AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS | OBAP St. Louis Ace Academy | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | Middle & High School | Yolandea Wood | Academy Director | yolandea.wood@nullobap.org | 618-444-5925 | ||
| Red Tail Youth Flying Program | OBAP St. Louis Ace Academy | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | Middle & High School | Yolandea Wood | Academy Director | yolandea.wood@nullobap.org | 618-444-5926 | ||
| Tuskegee Airmen Inc. | OBAP St. Louis Ace Academy | St. Louis, MO | ✓ | Middle & High School | Yolandea Wood | Academy Director | yolandea.wood@nullobap.org | 618-444-5927 | ||
| Aviation Degrees | Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville & Granite City, IL | ✓ | ✓ | College age and older | College age and older | Professor | keith.mueller@nullswic.edu | 618-235-2700, ext. 5683 |
|
| West Star Aviation Academy | West Star Aviation | East Alton, IL | ✓ | High School Graduates | Katie Johnson | Chief People Officer | katiejohnson@nullwsa.aero | 800-922-2421 | ||
| West Star Aviation Academy | West Star Aviation | East Alton, IL | ✓ | High School Graduates | Dave Lagermann | Recruiter | dlagermann@nullwsa.aero | 800-922-2421 | ||
| Aerospace Engineering Specialization | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale, IL | ✓ | College age and older | Hossein Eslamiat | Professor | hossein.eslamiat@nullsiu.edu | 618-453-7910 | ||
| Intro to Flight Program | Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation | Maryland Heights, MO | ✓ | Age 14 - 25 | Joe Steinman | Founder and President | joe.gyaf@nullgmail.com | 314-3999208 |
Research Programs
| Program Name | Institution Name | Location | Contact | Title | Phone Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirCRAFT lab | Saint Louis University | St. Louis, MO | Dr. Srikanth Gururajan | Associate Professor | Srikanth.Gururajan@nullslu.edu | 314-977-8355 |
Other Programs
| Program Name | Description | Location | Contact | Title | Phone Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings of Hope | Wings of Hope is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization that has been helping the world’s most vulnerable communities since 1962. As our name suggests, we use our wings to connect people to the resources they need to meet their development goals. | Chesterfield, MO | Angela Walleman | Vice President & Director of Programs | info@nullwingsofhope.ngo | (800) 448-9487 |
| AeroCareers | AerosCareers, NFP is a not-for-profit charitable and educational corporation. Our mission is Air and Space Career Education, Networking, and Mentoring for those interested in exploring the many career opportunities in the Aerospace Industry | Millstadt, IL | Nick Turk | Co-Founder | turkaviation@nullcs.com | 618-530-0805 |
| Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation | The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation's mission is to inspire youth interest in aviation. The goal is to be that “one event experience” that proves to be pivotal in changing a youth’s life forever. The Foundation attracts and nourishes that interest in aviation with actual aircraft cockpits, virtual reality flight simulation, group STEM activities and flight opportunities provided through the EAA Young Eagles Program. | Creve Coeur, MO | Joe Steinman | Founder and President | joe.gyaf@nullgmail.com | 314-399-9208 |
While the programs above are geared specifically toward careers in the aerospace sector, the St. Louis region also is well positioned to help companies in that sector and others access needed supplies and get their final products to their end destinations. To ensure the region’s continued strength as a global logistics hub, various other programs are available to expand the logistics and supply chain workforce. Learn more at the links below:
We have over 3,000 Gulfstream aircraft flying around the world today. As our fleet continues to grow, it is necessary that we expand our facilities and customer offerings. The greater St. Louis region is an area we’ve strategically identified to further invest in to support this growth. The local workforce and partnerships we’veestablished are invaluable. The strong relationships that we currently have with local educational institutions, Bi-State Development, local government and community leaders, and the phenomenal group at the St. Louis Downtown Airport have certainly contributed to our decision to continue to expand here.