Signals / Notes on work and capability
Reporting, research, data, and ideas I’m following about AI, labor, education, industrial capacity, and the people required to build what comes next.
What I’m watching
The useful question is not simply whether AI will replace jobs. It is which tasks move to machines, which human capabilities become more valuable, and whether our training systems can keep pace.
I’m following job redesign, human-plus-AI work, knowledge loss, new roles, training gaps, and what technological change looks like in physical industries.
Recent signals
A running reading list, with a short note on why each piece matters.
14 pieces
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
BLS projects 5% employment growth for aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians from 2024–34, with about 13,100 annual openings. Many are replacement needs as workers transfer or retire.
Read the originalU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians is projected to grow 8% from 2024–34, with roughly 900 openings annually.
Read the originalThe Manufacturing Institute + Deloitte
The U.S. may need 3.8 million additional manufacturing workers between 2024 and 2033. Without changes to the talent system, the study estimates half of those roles could remain vacant.
Read the originalFederal Aviation Administration
FAA workforce-development grants are explicitly designed to recruit and prepare a more inclusive pipeline of pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.
Read the originalU.S. Government Accountability Office
GAO reports that shortages of trained aircraft-maintenance personnel have contributed to Army, Navy, and Air Force difficulty meeting aircraft mission-capable goals.
Read the originalU.S. Government Accountability Office
Pilot certifications grew about 10% from 2017–24, while more than half of certified pilots as of 2024 will reach mandatory airline retirement age within 20 years. The signal is more complex than a single shortage narrative.
Read the originalAI & AUTOMATION
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
BLS expects generative AI to improve design, predictive maintenance, and technician efficiency, while regulation, quality control, and commercial aviation demand keep the underlying occupations strong.
Read the originalU.S. Department of Energy
DOE reported 142,000 additional clean-energy jobs in 2023. Construction added nearly 90,000 energy jobs, revealing both opportunity and a growing need for skilled field labor.
Read the originalU.S. Department of Energy
More than 80% of employers across nuclear construction, manufacturing, wholesale, professional services, and utilities experienced at least some hiring difficulty in 2024.
Read the originalAI & AUTOMATION
U.S. Department of Labor
DOL awarded nearly $84 million to expand Registered Apprenticeships across advanced manufacturing, supply chain, transportation, construction, technology, and AI.
Read the originalFAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board
The FAA advisory report identified difficulty hiring and retaining qualified AMT faculty, leakage of graduates into other industries, and weak mechanisms for converting military maintenance experience into civilian credentials.
Read the originalFederal Aviation Administration
FAA’s 2026 awards include a 910-hour, supervised on-the-job training pilot in Alabama designed to prepare students for the AMT General test or further Airframe and Powerplant certification.
Read the originalAI & AUTOMATION
U.S. Government Accountability Office
As FAA evaluates emerging electric-aircraft designs, GAO says quantitative skill-gap assessments across mission-critical occupations would better prepare the agency for technological change.
Read the originalAI & AUTOMATION
Deloitte
In Deloitte’s 2025 survey, 85% of respondents agreed that smart-manufacturing initiatives can help attract talent—suggesting technology changes both the work and the story industry tells prospective workers.
Read the originalSeeing this inside your organization?