GE Aerospace Makes New MRO, Manufacturing Workforce Investments

GE Aerospace has announced a new round of investments to support the industry’s future maintenance and advanced manufacturing workforce needs across several continents.

The new investments are part of the Lifting Futures program, a five-year, $30 million workforce training skills program spearheaded by the GE Aerospace Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by the engine manufacturer. First announced in October 2025, the program seeks to add 10,000 new skilled workers to the advanced manufacturing segment (which, to GE, includes MRO) by 2030.

Through the program, GE and the Foundation will be working with local partners to increase access to community-based advanced skills training and certification programs. The funding will go toward efforts such as expanding staff and facilities to increase school capacity, providing more training resources and services for students, and reducing barriers to entry.

This new round of investment will go toward five metropolitan areas in Asia, Europe and the U.S.: Auburn, Alabama; Cincinnati-Dayton, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Wroclaw, Poland. While GE does operate facilities near these locations, a spokesperson for the company says the goal is “to lift people up in the communities where we live and work, with a focus on locations where we can draw on employee expertise and volunteering,” so this gives the company “a clearer picture of area need and growth opportunities.”

Receiving a minimum of $1 million will be GE partners in Auburn, Dallas and Kuala Lumpur. GE already has some initiatives in place in these cities, including a partnership with Tarrant County College in Dallas to support its Aviation Maintenance Technician Program. In 2025, GE gave the school $250,000 to cover students’ exam fees and to provide tools and training equipment, including a 3D virtual training platform that simulates maintenance scenarios on Airbus A320neo engines. GE also supports the Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology and Calhoun Community College in Huntsville, Alabama.

Cincinnati-Dayton and Wroclaw will receive a minimum of $500,000.

In 2025, GE donated $250,000 to Cincinnati State to hire two new aviation maintenance instructors, which enabled the technical and community college to expand enrollment capacity. GE operates its XEOS engine maintenance joint venture with Lufthansa Technik in Wroclaw.

GE notes that the new investments will not necessarily go to organizations it has previously donated to, although these donations have provided key learnings to help shape the Lifting Futures. A spokesperson for the company says GE expects to announce specific partners within the five chosen locations and more details about specific efforts the donations will support by this fall.

Beyond its Lifting Futures program, GE and the Foundation have supported more than 20 programs to support advanced manufacturing and MRO workforce development. A spokesperson for the company says these programs have improved retention, certification and capacity. For example, in October 2025, the Foundation provided $500,000 in funding to the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes Make America initiative, which supported a new aircraft and powerplant maintenance technician program in North Carolina aimed at helping military service members transition to civilian MRO careers.

A GE spokesperson said the company’s previous and ongoing workforce efforts have highlighted an industry shortage of around 5,000 certificated aviation maintenance technicians, so it expects the Lifting Futures program to help address this.

In March, GE announced plans to hire 5,000 U.S. workers in 2025, primarily in engineering and manufacturing roles, including aviation maintenance technicians.