Long Island is home to a vibrant aerospace and defense manufacturing ecosystem that continues to produce mission-critical hardware for the nation's air, space, and maritime platforms. This strength, however, depends on a steady pipeline of skilled technical workers; one that is increasingly at risk as the current workforce ages and competition for talent intensifies.
3000 by 30 is a strategic workforce initiative designed to maintain an ongoing enrollment of 3,000 students in aerospace and defense training programs, producing 1,500 workforce-ready graduates per year by 2030.
There are approximately 250 aerospace and defense companies on Long Island, employing roughly 25,000 people. Even modest growth of 5% requires 1,250 to 1,500 new workers each year.
Without a coordinated workforce development strategy, New York risks ceding these high-value manufacturing capabilities to other states that are actively building their own talent pipelines.
Year 1 Request: $1,000,000
Program Funding: $30M/year (~$150M over 5 years)
Effective workforce development does not happen by chance; it must be built deliberately. Without alignment between education and industry, we produce graduates without pathways and employers without talent.
These careers offer high wages, long-term stability, and six-figure growth potential, without requiring traditional four-year degrees or long-term student debt.
This initiative ensures Long Island remains a center of aerospace manufacturing and that its young people remain here to build their futures.
Contact
Thomas H. Sobota, Ph.D.
Thomas.Sobota@archimedesproducts.com
631-589-1215