A nationwide shortage of trained pilots and aviation technicians has led to a surge of development in aerospace education in West Virginia. According to a recent report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over the past three decades, the number of pilots in the nation has decreased by 30% while the airline industry has simultaneously seen a tremendous increase in the demand for air travel.
The aerospace industry is one of West Virginia’s fastest-growing economic generators. With nearly $2 billion generated in annual economic impact, airports and related aerospace companies are critical components of the state’s economy.
In 2018, Brad Smith, chairman and CEO of Intuit at the time, announced a $25 million gift to the Marshall University Lewis College of Business. Within 24 hours of the announcement, West Virginia University (WVU) announced a gift of time, talent and resources by alumnus John Chambers, former executive chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. and founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, to its college of business and economics.
Morgantown is teeming with economic development. With the ongoing expansion of West Virginia University (WVU), WestRidge Business + Retail Park, Mylan Park and the Morgantown Municipal Airport, the city’s growing footprint is a bright spot in the Mountain State.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world to rely even more on the internet, forcing West Virginia’s business community—especially small businesses—to re-evaluate and grow their online presence and government agencies and educational institutions to brainstorm new ways to train and engage students. Amid opportunities for transformation and innovation, however, the pandemic also opened West Virginians up to online exploitation.
West Virginians helping West Virginians has never been more important. During a year of uncertainty, an unprecedented stay-at-home order, business closings, layoffs, remote work and fear, citizens of the Mountain State have proven once again that in the face of adversity, they take care of their own.