Celebrate National Aviation Day with the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force as they introduce new Aerospace Manufacturing and Aviation Careers Roadmaps to guide students and job seekers toward exciting careers in the region’s thriving aerospace and aviation industries.
Online resources now available for St. Louis-area students and their families exploring future careers
[ST. LOUIS, MO/Aug. 22, 2025] The St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force celebrated National Aviation Day on August 19 with the launch of a series of Aerospace Manufacturing and Aviation Careers Roadmaps. The new workforce initiative is aimed at helping area high school students and new career seekers navigate their way to an exciting future in aerospace or aviation. The Roadmaps highlight sample careers in these vibrant industries, earning potential for these positions in the St. Louis region – where the median salaries tend to be higher than the national average – and provide insight on what individuals need to do to become an aerospace or aviation professional. The Roadmaps, along with related information on educational and training programs, job openings in the bi-state area and more, are now accessible online at AeroSTL.org/Jobs.
For high school students – High School to High Pay! is a key theme that was reinforced at two separate launch events held at Lindbergh High School in south St. Louis County and The Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence (The CAVE) in Belleville, Illinois. Both schools are members of the task force.
Lindbergh High School Principal Dr. Eric Cochran opened the program there by providing a little history on their aviation program, which explores two pathways – one focused on airplanes and the other on drones. “It seems appropriate that we would be hosting this celebration here as a high school with an aviation program. We’re very proud to serve our students and to offer them some potential career opportunities in the aviation field,” said Cochran. “We’re trying to get smarter about how we’re approaching that curriculum and hoping to increase the number of contacts we have throughout the region, so we can help provide some future workers in this field, because I know there’s a great demand for it.”
Mary Lamie, Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, provided additional insight on the growing demand. “The St. Louis Regional Freightway began gathering data on the strength of the aerospace and aviation sectors within our region in 2023,” Lamie said. “What we discovered ultimately led us to the launch of The St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force last August; not because we needed a task force to try to prop up a challenged industry, but because we discovered a thriving ecosystem set to welcome approximately $5 billion in new investment, creating hundreds of new jobs in this region. A key focus of our task force is building that workforce pipeline.”
Lamie discussed how the region is home to industry giants such as the Boeing Company, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., and West Star Aviation, as well as smaller firms like AVMATS and Seyer Industries, all of which are hiring. In many cases, she noted there are opportunities to earn as you learn the specific skills needed to work in these industries. “They are part of this ecosystem with almost 50 aerospace manufacturing firms and thousands of other businesses that support them,” said Lamie. “Beyond competitive salaries, jobs with these companies offer great benefits packages that empower families to thrive, not just survive.”
Carter Bushman, an 11th grader, was one of several students in the Lindbergh High School Aviation Program who spoke at the event. He said he picked the program because it seemed like a fun, hands-on class to take and seemed impressed when he learned about the salaries highlighted in the new Roadmaps.
Twelfth-grader Stella Hadziselimovic told the audience she had originally picked the aviation course because years spent visiting the airport with her dad to watch planes sparked in interest in being a pilot from an early age. But she noted that her interests changed, and she decided she wanted to be a lawyer. “I realized that I can also be a lawyer in aviation through this class,” said Hadziselimovic. “Everything in it really helped me with the pathway of what I want to do in college and the rest of my life.”
Kristen Cochran, also a 12th grader, highlighted how beneficial the program is for students who don’t really know yet what they want to do. “I think that it’s a good topic to study because the field has a lot more jobs than I expected,” she said.
Dr. Dustin Bilbruck, Assistant Superintendent at Belleville Township High School, which opened The CAVE in 2022, highlighted at their event how the presence of an airplane and flight simulators in its classrooms distinguishes it from most other schools in the region and talked about its mission to provide a pathway for career opportunities for students. “This model is mutually beneficial for our students and their families as well as for employers and industry partners,” said Bilbruck. “Students receive access to the training and connections that can spawn a successful career for them and the industry. Employers receive credentialed, well-trained and motivated team members to help them grow and thrive.”
Jake Strausbaugh, Director of The CAVE, highlighted for students in the audience how the combination of the St. Louis region’s career opportunities in aviation and students’ enrollment in local aviation programs will be extremely advantageous to their future success. “In our Advanced Aviation program, students, you will learn how planes fly, how they are designed, and how pilots control them. You’ll learn how to utilize maps to navigate and even master cross country flight planning. You’ll explore what it’s like to fly in tricky weather and learn how to navigate only using instruments. Whether you’re dreaming of being a pilot or just love this thrill of aviation, this course is your launchpad,” said Strausbaugh. “For those of you in our Advanced Aviation Maintenance program, this course will provide you with a head start into college level airframe and power plant studies, which is the backbone of aviation. You will learn about aircraft, materials, fluid lines and fittings. You’ll even get a taste of aviation, electricity, technology, weight, and balance, all while picking up the skills that local aviation manufacturers are looking for.”
Among the local firms looking for people with these skills is Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., which was represented at the launch event by Tony Ray, Vice President and General Manager – St. Louis Completions. “In May, we finalized our expansion at St. Louis Downtown Airport with the completion of a $30 million investment, adding 200 new jobs to the region and, today, more than 700 employees work at Gulfstream in St. Louis,” said Ray. “In support of this workforce, we’ve established partnerships with several local educational institutions that help build a talent pipeline in this wonderful community we call home.”
Ray highlighted Gulfstream’s High School Assistants Program with The CAVE and initiatives with other area high schools, including Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis St. Louis, noting that students can enroll in the programs and receive on-the-job experience while in school, then be eligible for full-time positions at Gulfstream upon graduation. “I’m pleased to say we have had more than 30 students participate in the program and many are now full-time employees with Gulfstream,” added Ray.
Kaleb Pfeil, a 12th grade student at The CAVE, spoke about his goal to grow into a skilled aviation professional with a deep understanding of both flight operations and systems. “I want to build a long-term career in aerospace, combining hands-on aviation experience with advanced technical knowledge,” said Kaleb. “This program aligns perfectly with my passion for aviation and provides a firm foundation for advancement in the industry. Working at Gulfstream provides exposure to world-class aircraft and the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in a real-world environment.”
Several counties in the bi-state St. Louis region issued proclamations declaring August 19 Aviation Day in their county, with the proclamations for St. Louis County, Mo., and both St. Clair and Madison Counties in Illinois presented as part of the celebrations at the schools, helping to underscore the importance of this initiative.
The launch coincides with the one-year anniversary of The St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force, which includes representatives from airports in the region and aerospace companies operating locally, several educational institutions and workforce development groups in the bi-state area and various other programs providing opportunities for youth to explore flight and aviation from an early age. Lamie said she will be collaborating with them in the coming weeks and months to help spread the word about the new Roadmaps to other educators and guidance counselors across the bi-state area.
“We want students at public and private schools across the region to know about these opportunities to secure a position paying close to $50,000 right out of high school, tap into a career with potential to earn close to $100,000 with just a couple of years of training, or open the door to a six-figure salary with a targeted college degree,” said Lamie.
For more information on the robust aerospace and aviation sector in the St. Louis region, visit AeroSTL.org. To directly access the new Roadmaps, visit AeroSTL.org/Jobs
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