(Hartford Business Journal, 11/11/19)
By Aerospace Components Manufacturers Executive Director, Paul Murphy
The announcement that Pratt & Whitney won a major new contract for jet engines is good news, but it’s also scary.
Anytime a Connecticut company wins a significant contract, it’s a positive development for the company and for the growth of the state. But it’s also scary because with this new contract, Pratt & Whitney says it is going to need to hire as many as 2,000 workers.
Connecticut already has a dearth of skilled aerospace workers, with literally hundreds slated to retire in the next few years. Most of the Pratt & Whitney subcontractors in Connecticut have job openings — hundreds when taken together.