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(INDIANAPOLIS) – The aerospace industry has something in common with Indiana: they’re both trying to train enough skilled workers to meet their need.

Eric Fanning was President Obama’s Secretary of the Army, and now heads the Aerospace Industries Association. He told an Indianapolis aerospace and defense conference that businesses need to partner with schools to get students interested in careers early.He says it’s not schools’ role to be job training academies, but says it should be an opportunity to spark students’ interest in tech careers. He says businesses should be more active on sponsoring mentoring programs to let students see firsthand what’s out there.

Fanning says there was a big spike in students entering tech fields after the moon landing, and another jump when the space shuttle was flying. Today, the marketing heat is more with web and computer-related businesses. Fanning says aerospace companies need to show students their industry still has a “wow” factor too.

(Photo: FG Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images)