The GE Aerospace Foundation will invest $1 million in workforce training in the Auburn-Montgomery region as Alabama’s aerospace industry continues to expand.
The investment, announced Tuesday, will support three local organizations through the foundation’s Lifting Futures workforce program beginning in 2027. The program will improve access to aerospace and advanced manufacturing careers, help workers complete training and strengthen coordination among regional employers and training providers.
The first year’s funding is expected to reach more than 400 people.
Southern Union State Community College will use its funding to establish a free boot camp for students seeking entry-level jobs in aerospace and advanced manufacturing. The college will also purchase new equipment and provide support intended to help students overcome barriers to completing training.
The Industrial Development Board of the City of Auburn will promote no-cost training and employment opportunities in the Auburn-Opelika area. The Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce will work to expand the region’s manufacturing workforce pipeline and connect workers with available career opportunities.
The funding comes as Alabama continues to attract aerospace and advanced manufacturing projects that require workers with specialized technical skills. The organizations receiving the grants will focus on helping residents gain those skills while making training more accessible.
The foundation’s investment follows summer meetings with more than a dozen educators, civic leaders and industry representatives along the Interstate 85 manufacturing corridor. The discussions identified limited awareness of manufacturing careers, lower training completion rates and a need for stronger coordination among organizations as challenges facing the region.
The investment also highlighted the need to connect workforce programs more closely with local employers’ needs. The new funding is intended to help address those gaps by bringing education, industry and economic development groups together.
The Lifting Futures program aims to prepare 10,000 workers for careers in aerospace and advanced manufacturing across multiple communities by 2030.
“The aerospace industry is growing in Alabama, and a trained workforce is key to maintaining this rapid growth,” U.S. Representative Mike Rogers said in the release.
The foundation also plans to provide subscriptions to Let’s Go Aerospace magazine to public middle school libraries in Lee and Montgomery counties. The effort aims to introduce younger students to aerospace careers and provide information about industry opportunities.
The initiative will also give students and prospective workers more exposure to career paths that may not require a traditional four-year college degree.
Since GE Aerospace became an independent company in 2024, the company and its foundation have supported more than 20 workforce programs that have reached nearly 10,000 people. The foundation also gave $100,000 to Calhoun Community College in Huntsville in 2024.
