GE Aerospace Foundation Announces Support for the Manufacturing Institute to Expand Workforce Training Opportunities for Veterans

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (October 20, 2025)—Today, the GE Aerospace Foundation announced a $500,000 commitment to the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America initiative. The grant will fund the creation of a new accelerated Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certification training program at Fort Bragg in collaboration with Fayetteville Technical Community College.

The new A&P training program at Fort Bragg will launch in 2026 and will train transitioning servicemembers and veterans to earn the certifications they need to work in-demand jobs in the aerospace industry.

As the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is dedicated to building and strengthening the manufacturing workforce of today and tomorrow. The MI’s Heroes MAKE America initiative equips transitioning servicemembers and veterans with the training and certifications needed to launch successful careers in manufacturing. Fort Bragg is already home to the HMA’s Department of Defense SkillBridge-approved logistics certification training course.

“As we continue to advance the future of flight, it is critical that we invest in developing talent to help us build it and bring it to life,” said GE Aerospace Chief Human Resources Officer and GE Aerospace Foundation Chair Christian Meisner. “We look forward to working alongside our partners to reinforce North Carolina’s long-standing leadership as the first in flight and keystone of the aviation manufacturing industry.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with the GE Aerospace Foundation to expand Heroes MAKE America and ensure our veterans have the skills needed to integrate into the manufacturing workforce,” added MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “We are committed to providing the resources and opportunities to empower today’s American heroes to become tomorrow’s manufacturing leaders.”

-The MI-

The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for individual opportunity, community prosperity and a competitive manufacturing industry for the future, through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

-About GE Aerospace-

GE Aerospace is a global aerospace propulsion, services and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 49,000 commercial and 29,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 53,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up and bringing them home safely. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining flight for today, tomorrow and the future at www.geaerospace.com.    

-About the GE Aerospace Foundation-

The GE Aerospace Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE Aerospace, complements the company’s purpose to “lift people up” in communities where employees live and work around the world. The Foundation’s philanthropic strategy and programs focus on engineering education, workforce development and disaster relief. We also support GE Aerospace employees through programs such as Matching Gifts and STAR Awards. When GE Aerospace launched as an independent company in 2024, the GE Foundation was relaunched as the GE Aerospace Foundation, commencing a new chapter that builds on the successful, 100+ year legacy of the previous GE Foundation. Learn more at www.geaerospace.com/company/philanthropy.