Rose State Helps Oklahoma’s Aerospace Industry Fly Higher Published July 14, 2021 by Rose State College President Dr. Jeanie Webb

Oklahoma’s rich history in the aerospace industry spans almost 100 years as aerospace has grown to be the state’s second largest and fastest-growing industry sector. Rose State College, partnering with other institutions across Oklahoma, has created a unique opportunity to prepare engineers of any industry to easily bridge their skills and knowledge into the aerospace field.

Oklahoma has realized the creation of more than 4,000 new aerospace jobs in the past two years as aerospace companies expanded ventures, opened new facilities or relocated operations to the state. With this growth comes the need for qualified talent. Rose State has seen the most demand for aerospace talent among engineering fields.

With average wages for aerospace engineers in Oklahoma ranging from $73,000 to $104,000+, Rose State’s Aerospace and Cybersecurity Center of Workforce Excellence developed a new program – in partnership with Oklahoma State University’s Institute of Technology – entitled the Oklahoma Aerospace Expansion Program (Oklahoma A-XP) that is poised to transition non-aerospace engineers wanting to tackle a less-volatile industry and experience exponential growth within aerospace.

Oklahoma A-XP is a six-week program for engineers from non-aerospace backgrounds that includes specialized courses designed to upskill and provide access to students through innovative new-hire onboarding training, all to enhance the growth of Oklahoma’s aerospace industry. The program provides an overview of principles of the aerospace industry, beginning with aerospace terms and practices and advancing to quality and airworthiness issues. Students will also receive an introduction to system-level courses such as aircraft systems (general-propulsion, hydraulics, avionics, electrical) and ending with logistics and resources. Participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement upon successful completion of the course.

Couple Oklahoma A-XP with the state’s unique $5,000 personal income tax credit and the interest from aerospace engineers is skyrocketing. The Aerospace Engineer Workforce Tax Credit provides $5,000 for five years to engineers with an undergraduate degree that’s accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and working for an Oklahoma aerospace company.

Currently, there are more than 1,500 aerospace-related job openings in the Oklahoma City area alone with the goal of adding 10,000 more to our state in the next five years. 

Start your journey in aerospace today. Learn more about Rose State’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Cybersecurity Center of Workforce Excellence at https://www.trainingatrose.com/center-for-workforce-excellence.