Those involved with the aerospace industry in North Central West Virginia in general and the North Central West Virginia Airport in particular have often heard that industry called “West Virginia’s best kept secret.” Many times, in fact, those involved have called the industry that has roughly a $1 billion annual impact on the region the same thing.

 

While it’s not a bad thing that that good paying jobs with a huge economic impact are situated here in Bridgeport and other parts of the region, the fact so many don’t know the industry exists and hundreds of job opportunities as well isn’t necessarily a good thing. Monday afternoon the point was driven home.

 

Gov. Jim Justice was on hand to meet with aerospace leaders on the site of one of those thriving businesses – Bombardier. And he drove the point home about issues with so few knowing what exists in the heart of West Virginia.

 

“I’m the governor of the State of West Virginia and I didn’t know about it,” said Justice during a roughly one-hour session at Bombardier.

 

After the session he elaborated by saying “I surely knew that this was here, but I didn’t have a clue of the opportunities that was really here.”

 

Gathered were representatives of some of the area’s oldest aerospace companies such as KCI Aviation, as well as some of the newest and largest such as Pratt & Whitney. They all focused primarily on one thing, and that was the hundreds of job openings that are needing to be filled with good-paying, benefit-laden positions that workers simply don’t exist for.

 

“They are standing at the threshold saying, ‘There’s job opportunity everywhere,’ Justice said. “And it’s the very thing that West Virginia needs desperately.”

 

Unlike some jobs, positions at the companies represented require training and certifications. Many of the certifications must meet FAA standards. For years, Thomas Stose has helped fill as many jobs as possible through the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center that is located on the airport property.

 

The problem is that there simply aren’t enough individuals coming through the system to meet the needs. Bombardier, which recently announced an expansion that could top $40 million, will easily need more than 100 new workers. Those involved praised Stose’s efforts, but said he needs help and the help has to come by making the aerospace industry a career path and one that’s easier to follow.

 

“We need to talk about a career path that’s not a four-year degree … Unless we demonstrate good career paths to people we’re not going to succeed,” said Stephen McCoy, the general manager of Bombardier. “We’re pushing kids into academia when they need not to be there.”

 

Stose has been working with Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher and others on creating ways to fill positions in a less cumbersome manners. Recently, many laid off mine workers have completed the program at RCB Aerospace Education Center.

 

Justice asked Stose and others what was needed. For the businesses, it was having quality workers to choose from and for Stose it was resources to be able to let displaced workers and youngsters entering the workforce about the training that usually leads to job offerings before training is completed. He also asked for modern training technology.

 

Thrasher said even with the state’s economic downturn, money can’t be diverted from programs such as this. Instead, he said money needs to be put into it.

 

“You’ve got to spend a little money to make a little money,” said Thrasher. “ … If business is down you better be marketing.”

 

While the economy is down, Justice said he hopes the West Virginia Legislature doesn’t do additional cuts to programs such as the one Stose is helping to provide. He said that would be counterproductive to what was called by Thrasher “a diamond in the rough” on more than one occasion.

 

“There’s a group (in the Legislature) that feels like their mission from God is to cut something … then they can go home and brag about it,” said Justice.

 

Justice assured those in attendance that he was going to work with them. He said that before and after Senator Mike Romano, who sits on the Benedum Airport Authority and is a proponent of Stose’s and expansion of the aerospace sector, said that “you’re not the first governor we’ve brought here.”

 

However, Justice said he’s not going to let this industry dry up. Instead, he believes it’s something that should be flourishing.

 

“I want you to know you will very aggressively feel welcome now because I’ll be with you and here to try and facilitate,” said Justice. “I’ll be bold enough and gusty enough to be able to say to you that we’re going to be on the move and there’s going to be a lot of good things happen to even want to be here more.”

 

Justice asked Thrasher and those at the meeting to meet with him in Charleston after the Legislature wraps up their ongoing session. Although an exact date wasn’t set, he asked for it to be roughly three weeks after the session with the hopes of creating a blueprint to find a way to meet labor needs in the local aerospace industry.

 

Editor's  Note: Top photo shows, from left, Senators Doug Facemire and Mike Romano, Gov. Jim Justice and Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher. Middle photo shows the group in their meeting Monday afternoon, while the governor is interviewed after the event.