The GE Aerospace Foundation has selected Dallas as one of the first five cities around the world to be part of Lifting Futures—its new, $30 million workforce training program. Announced last fall, the program aims to meet the growing need for advanced manufacturing—providing 10,000 workers with skills to help support growing demand across the aerospace and manufacturing industries by 2030

The other selected cities for the program are Auburn, Alabama; the Cincinnati-Dayton region in Ohio; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Wrocław, Poland.

“With Lifting Futures, the GE Aerospace Foundation is taking the next step to ensure a strong future for the aerospace industry and for the thousands of workers we need to meet growing demand,” Christian Meisner, chief human resources officer at GE Aerospace.

“Through our new flagship workforce program,” he added in a statement, “we aim to work with local partners to increase manufacturing career opportunities and create long-term impact in communities poised to help build the future of flight.”  

Investing at least $1M in Dallas

The foundation said it will invest “a minimum of $1 million” to help close the manufacturing skills gap in Dallas, which it called “an aerospace hub where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts some of the strongest demand for advanced manufacturing labor.” 

The Dallas program will join an existing network of training opportunities in the region, the foundation said, complementing programs like the GE Aerospace Foundation-supported Aviation Maintenance Technician program at Tarrant County College.  

The Lifting Futures program will strengthen the existing ecosystems of local workforce training, the GE Aerospace Foundation said. The foundation plans to work with local partners throughout the spring and summer to develop action plans specific to their location’s workforce needs that will inform local investments.

As the funds are invested, the foundation said it will evaluate opportunities to see them grow over the course of the program.

Since it became a standalone company in 2024, GE Aerospace has supported over 20 workforce programs that have upskilled nearly 10,000 individuals, the foundation said. Current and future employees are trained through apprenticeships and other programs such as the Lafayette, Indiana FAA powerplant apprenticeship, the Rutland, Vermont machinists toolmaker apprenticeship, and the West Jefferson, North Carolina advanced machining program.

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