Barbara Woodworth

 

JOBS IN AEROSPACE & DEFENSE SECTOR PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

 

THE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE INDUSTRY – COMPRISED OF MANUFACTURERS OF MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT, SPACE SYSTEMS, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PROVIDERS, AND COMPANIES THAT OFFER RELATED SUPPLY CHAIN PORTIONS – HAS BEEN IN A STATE OF FLUX IN RECENT YEARS. BUT WITH FUEL PRICES SHRINKING, AIRCRAFT ORDERS ON THE RISE, AND THE NEED FOR DEFENSE PROGRAMS STRONGER THAN EVER, JOBS IN THE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE SECTOR ARE WAITING TO BE FILLED. ALSO, NOTES A REPORT PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IN LATE 2014, 40 TO 50 PERCENT OF THE AEROSPACE WORKFORCE WILL RETIRE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THE REPORT, TITLED “FLYING INTO THE FUTURE WITH AEROSPACE & DEFENSE” ALSO NOTES THAT THE INDUSTRY IS EXPECTED TO GROW TO A VALUE OF $4.5 TRILLION OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS. READ ON ABOUT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS EXCITING SECTOR.

 

A DREAM JOB AT NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

 

ONE YEAR BEFORE HIS SCHEDULED RETIREMENT FROM A LONG AND STELLAR MILITARY CAREER IN THE U.S. ARMY, STEVE OGLETREE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). “THE STRESS OF NUMEROUS DEPLOYMENTS TO COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD – MANY IN THE MIDST OF WAR-TORN CRISES – EXACERBATED AN EMOTIONAL DRAIN ON MY LIFE,” HE STATES.

 

Ogletree was a college student at Northeast Louisiana University when he enlisted – somewhat unexpectedly. “A visit by childhood friends led to a recruitment center – and the start of my military career,” he remarks. During his 19 years of active service, he deployed to Turkey, Belize, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Nicaragua, and had the distinction of being selected to serve as a member of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) located in Arlington, VA.

 

In 2008, when the stress of so many deployments led to PTSD, Ogletree was placed in Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During his year of treatment, he participated in an internship program for recovering service members (offered by the Wounded Warriors; see page 26). “I jumped at the opportunity. It was a way to gain skills, network, transition into civilian life, and prepare for full time employment. As a husband and dad of a preschooler, I took full advantage of the opportunity,” says Ogletree. At the end of his internship in 2009, he was offered a full time position at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), headquartered in Springfield, VA. He also completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Strayer University.

 

For Ogletree, working at the NGA (www.nga.mil) is a dream come true. “Not only is my office 15 minutes from home, the work is challenging, satisfying, and allows me to still feel connected to the military,” he states. NGA’s approximately 14,500 highly trained analysts and other employees deliver world-class geospatial intelligence critical to warfighters, government policymakers, intelligence professionals, and first responders. NGA provides a unique combination of an intelligence agency and a combat support agency with hundreds of employees serving on support teams at U.S. military, diplomatic, and allied locations around the world.

 

Much of Ogletree’s daily duties as contract specialist involve administrative work at the settlement end of commercial contracts. He highlights the importance of making sure that compliance, funding, and performance as sessment are properly vetted prior to the conclusion of a contract. “Contract specialists are growing in scope and necessity and are now found at numerous companies and agencies involved in contract work,” he says.

 

In addition to administrating contracts, Ogletree also volunteers to help recruit other recovering service members for internship opportunities with the NGA, often relying on his own story to stress the importance of getting well and giving back. “I relate how a firsttime meeting with a Lt. Colonel from the NGA at a career fair led to my current job. That chance meeting is something I will never forget and will always be grateful for,” states Ogletree.

 

Getting “whole” again, according to Ogletree, involves both career and personal components. “When a doctor assigned to the Warrior Brigade asked about my interests, golf came to mind and I accepted a membership invitation to the Salute the Military Golf Association (SMGA), located minutes from Walter Reed Army Medical Center,” he recalls.

 

SMGA provides rehabilitative golf experiences in an effort to improve the lives of ill service members. Through SMGA, Ogletree was awarded a fully paid trip to a Masters tournament and in 2013 was selected to represent the U.S. in the Simpson Cup, an annual tournament played on U.S. Open and British Open courses. Composed of teams with 13 injured service men and veterans from the U.S. and U.K., next year Ogletree will serve as captain of the U.S. team.

 

MEETING THE CHALLENGE AT NORTHROP GRUMMAN

 

“HAVING A DISABILITY FROM THE TIME I WAS VERY YOUNG MADE ME AN EMOTIONALLY STRONGER, HARDER-WORKING, AND A MORE ABLE PERSON,” REPORTS ANNACUNNINGHAM, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ANALYST AT NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION (WWW.NGC.COM), HEADQUARTERED IN FALLS CHURCH, VA. “THE BRAIN TUMOR DISCOVERED WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD CAUSED A LEFT HEMIPARESIS, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF FINE-MOTOR CONTROL IN MYLEFT HAND, ALIMP, ANDALACK OF PERIPHERAL VISION. BUT DESPITE THIS DISABILITY I ALWAYS IN TENDED TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND WORK IN BUSINESS,” SHE SAYS.

 

Cunningham, who holds a BA from Case Western Reserve University, went on to intern at New York Life Insurance as a policy analyst, at the U.S. Department of State as an intelligence analyst, and at the Pentagon in the Air Force’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion as an analyst. Five months after graduating, she joined Northrop Grumman, recently completing her first year.

 

“Internships provided the professional experience I needed,” she explains. “I learned the importance of quality of work, time management, and working on a team. I also established a rapport with mentors who continue to guide and support me as I develop and grow in the workplace.”

 

She gives a special “shout out” to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment Program and the U.S. Business Leadership Network’s (USBLN) Career Link Mentoring Program, through which she connected with Dan Ellerman, Northrop Grumman’s director of EEO and diversity. “Dan introduced me to Northrop Grumman, invited me to participate in professional events, and helped me network. It was largely through his efforts that I found a position that both suited and interested me, and today his mentorship continues,” she says.

 

For Cunningham, in - terning at the Pentagon and working in her current position left little doubt that the defense sector was right for her. “The professional opportunities are incredibly interesting and valuable. It is a changing industry with lots of opportunity for growth,” she states.

 

Now in her second rotation in Northrop Grumman’s Professional Development Program – designed for recent graduates to gain experience and developmental guidance at the beginning of their careers – Cunningham supports business opportunities for international customers. She plans and organizes international visits, prepares various operations reports, and assists with business area financials, among other required tasks.

 

Time management, attention to detail, and teamwork are the skills Cunningham finds most useful. “High quality work is imperative in the defense sector and these skills are vital for making an efficient and effective contribution to the industry,” she says. Consistently challenged at work, she enjoys on-the-job variety as well as working with highly motivated team in international business – one of the most rapidly changing areas of the defense arena.

 

Individuals with disabilities, Cunningham contends, should take advantage of all available resources. “Whether you are looking for a job or currently working, utilize what you are given and develop your strengths,” she states. Additionally involved with the USBLN and the National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC) - both dedicated to empowering people with disabilities and promoting disability inclusion in the workplace - Cunningham helps with developing a new, widespread mentoring effort to improve disability inclusion in the workplace, an endeavor she counts among her most valued and meaningful efforts.

 

COMMITTED TO THE JOB AT ORBITAL ATK

 

WITH A BS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, HUNTSVILLE, MEGAN HARMON BELIEVES EDUCATION BEST PREPARED HER FOR HER POSITION AS MISSION ASSURANCE ENGINEER AT DULLES, VA-HEADQUARTERED ORBITAL ATK (WWW.ORBITALATK.COM). A GLOBAL LEADER IN AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES, ORBITAL ATK DESIGNS, BUILDS, AND DELIVERS SPACE, DEFENSE, AND AVIATION RELATED SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE, EMPLOYING MORE THAN 12,000 PEOPLE IN 20 STATES ACROSS THE U.S. AND SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS.

 

Happy to work in the aerospace arena, Harmon finds “Rocket City” an apt name for her hometown of Huntsville. “Given that Marshall Space Flight is located there, it is no surprise that my education focused on rockets, especially since rocket propulsion classes ranked among my favorite college electives,” she acknowledges.

 

Committed to her job, Harmon is equally committed to her passion for competitive snowboarding, despite having one leg amputated below the knee six and a half years ago. Following that surgery, Harmon recalls struggling to get back to her pre-injury activity level.

 

“Not being as strong a team member on my physically challenging college job was difficult at first but thanks to my boss I was able to get back more or less to normal,” says Harmon, who does not now experience any issues that impact her job performance. “Once I interviewed at Orbital ATK and realized my boss was amenable to me working around my training schedule, I knew this company was for me. Being able to train for competitions, including the recent Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, is a tremendous plus – on top of working at a job I love. ”

 

With the company for two years, Harmon is currently the primary tool and gage quality engineer for all Orbital ATK’s Commercial Programs. She also supports the company’s Launch Abort System (LAS). “It’s a pretty exciting sector. Technology is continuing to advance in very cool ways and I’m eager to see what I’ll be working on in the future,” says Harmon who enjoys getting “up close and personal” with huge rocket motors and working with great co-workers.

 

A member of the National Ability Center/Team Utah’s competitive snowboard team, Harmon trains several days a week on snow and a few more off snow. As part of her snowboard career, she is a National Ability Center volunteer and member of Team Bolle and Coalheadwear’s ambassador program.

 

Recently asked to attend local amputee support group meetings and speak to young amputees about her struggles and successes, Harmon finds these sessions equally valuable to her. “It’s important for individuals with disabilities to learn that patience is essential. People can be unsure of their ability at first, but once they become more comfortable with their situation they can hold their own and adapt well to their new environment,” says Harmon.

 

PURSUING DIVERSITY AT HONEYWELL AEROSPACE

 

CHARGED WITH LEADING OVERALL STAFFING AND DIVERSITY STRATEGIES FOR HONEYWELL AEROSPACE GLOBALLY, STEPHANIE RALEIGH, VICE PRESIDENT STAFFING AND DIVERSITY, WORKS DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE PROCESSES THAT ENABLE THE COMPANY TO MAKE THE RIGHT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TALENT SELECTIONS TO MEET THE COMPANY’S BUSINESS OBJECTIVES WHILE FOSTERING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE.

 

According to Raleigh, Honeywell Aerospace (www.honeywell.com), headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, “does not – and will not – discriminate against qualified employees and applicants on the basis of disability or any other legally protected status.” Stressing that Honeywell Aerospace complies with all federal, state, and local laws regarding treatment of persons with disabilities, she adds that “the company engages in Affirmative Action and provides reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities as appropriate.”

 

A graduate of the University of Missouri, Raleigh has worked in a variety of human resources leadership roles for several corporations. What she finds particularly attractive at Honeywell Aerospace is its commitment to ensuring that all positions within the company are filled with the right talent. “Accomplishing that,” she states, “is achieved by developing current employees and recruiting potential new hires in the external market.” As part of attaining this goal, Honeywell Aerospace further strives to maintain and enhance its brand while providing a positive experience. Says Raleigh, “Honeywell Aerospace believes in providing an open environment that allows candidates interested in open positions to adequately evaluate themselves against the requirements and specifications of available positions – and to be fully considered for them.”

 

Recognized as a leading company in several categories, Honeywell Aerospace has been among Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” from 2008-2015, a Top Military Friendly Employer in 2014, a Top 50 Employer by Minority Engineer magazine from 2011-2013 and by Woman Engineer magazine as a Top 2012 Reader’s Choice Employer.

 

Honeywell Aerospace’s mechanical and electrical innovations are used on virtually every commercial and defense aircraft platform, with thousands of products and services that deliver safe, efficient, productive, and comfortable experiences worldwide. It is a premier hardware and bandwidth provider for connectivity, enabling flight safety, crew, and passenger productivity and passenger entertainment. It also provides comprehensive, cost-reducing logistics designed to improve aircraft reliability.

 

With diversity the foundation of a performance culture that promotes respect, understanding, and appreciation of different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, at Honeywell Aerospace diversity is a large part of the energy that has and will continue to help the company achieve a sustainable and global competitive advantage for many years to come. “The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion further empowers its’ global teams to generate new and better ideas and to collaborate and innovate more efficiently,” states Raleigh.

 

EMBRACING DIVERSITY AT BOMBARDIER INC.

 

AT BOMBARDIER, ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY POLICIES, INCLUDING THOSE IMPACTING EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES, START AT THE TOP BEGINNING WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT. A MONTREAL-HEADQUARTERED COMPANY, BOMBARDIER (WWW.BOMBARDIER. COM) POLICIES GO BEYOND CANADIAN BORDERS TO OTHER GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS WHERE IT DOES BUSINESS, INCLUDING A LONG PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. “OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, AS REFLECTED IN OUR CODE OF ETHICS AND BUSINESS CONDUCT, MANDATES OFFERING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY DISTINCTIONS BASED ON AGE, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABILITY, RACE, RELIGION, CITIZENSHIP, MARITAL STATUS, FAMILY SITUATION, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR OTHER FACTORS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF EACH COUNTRY WHERE WE DO BUSINESS,” SAYS AMÉLIE BLAIS, DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND TALENT MANAGEMENT.

 

With a worldwide workforce of 74,000 – 34,000 of whom work in Bombardier’s Aerospace sector – more than 7,000 are employed in the U.S. With a long history of investment and success in the United States, Bombardier maintains 38 facilities across America. A leading global manufacturer of planes and trains, the company has built a diverse, extensive, and immensely successful portfolio of winning transport solutions.

 

Bombardier’s diversity approach covers hiring and recruitment, employee development, and fair employment practices. Regarding recruitment and hiring of persons with disabilities, Blais contends that HR personnel responsible for the selection process consider qualified candidates based on experience, education, expertise, personal qualities, and general and sector knowledge while ensuring that appropriate hiring policies, competency profiles, training policies, and compensation structures are in place. This enables Bombardier to attract, motivate, and retain the qualified personnel necessary to meet its business objectives.

 

“Because the corporation strives to treat all individuals in a manner that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence, Bombardier promotes integration and equal opportunity and is committed to meeting the needs of persons with disabilities in a timely manner,” says Blais.

 

Bombardier’s Accessibility Policy, which applies to all employees and customers of Bombardier's business segments in the province of Ontario (Canada), outlines the manner in which it will achieve accessibility via formal statements indicating how it establishes, implements, maintains, and documents strategies that prevent and remove barriers for persons with disabilities. Through this policy, Bombardier maintains individual workplace emergency response information specifically developed for individual employees with disclosed disabilities.

 

“With the prior consent of employees, individualized emergency plans are communicated to their respective managers and trained safety personnel,” explains Blais, adding that all accessibility, accommodations, and return to work processes are continually updated and communicated to ensure that all barriers to employment are eliminated. This policy is also part of the company’s Diversity Policy, which outlines how the company will achieve accessibility. Formal statements indicate how Bombardier establishes, implements, maintains, and documents strategies that prevent and remove barriers for persons with disabilities.