LOS ANGELES - Justin Wong, an aerospace engineering student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was schmoozing on Facebook.com last fall when he came across a sleek Boeing job ad.
Wong, who had just interned at the aerospace company, saw the banner on the popular social networking site as a "two-way street" -- a defense behemoth reaching out to today's youth in their virtual playground.
"My first impression was that Boeing is getting with the times," said the 21-year-old senior, who will work at Boeing's satellite division after graduation. "It shows the company is making an effort to talk to us on our level."
It's no secret the U.S. aerospace industry is rapidly graying: The average age of an aerospace worker was 45 in 2005. By next year, roughly one out of four will be eligible to retire.
Faced with a looming brain drain, companies are cooking up creative ways to lure and keep talent from chatting with students online to fast-tracking young workers to be future leaders.
Industry analysts say there's still time to stave off a shortage -- if the effort begins now, said Jeremiah Gertler, assistant vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group.
For years, recruiters flooded college campuses, promoting internships, setting up luncheons and handing out leaflets at job fairs. Today, more are experimenting with virtual connections.
For example, the Boeing Co. last year advertised a contest on Facebook to win an iPod Nano or iTunes gift card. Facebook users who entered the sweepstakes listened to a short video promoting the company and answered a multiple-choice quiz. The company then followed up with job openings.
Lockheed Martin Corp., the nation's No. 1 military contractor, started a chat room earlier this year on its Web site where recruiters host daily one-on-one instant messaging fests with job seekers, said Pete Bugnatto, a recruiter based in Silicon Valley.
Along with using technology, aerospace companies are bolstering their ranks by training young workers.
Rolls-Royce PLC, the world's second-largest aircraft engine maker, started a training program in 2004 that grooms 20-somethings to become future leaders. Normally, it takes about 10 years to get promoted. Under the accelerated program, a worker can become a middle manager in five to six years.
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