Pratt and Whitney’s president said the East Hartford based engine maker will look to hire 8,000 people in Connecticut over the next decade.
Robert Leduc told the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce that a backlog of engine orders means that the company currently can’t hire fast enough.
Leduc said the expected hiring will also be aimed at replacing a wave of retirements that are ahead in the next few years. But he said next year, Pratt will look to hire 1,000 engineers in Connecticut, and another 1,000 workers for manufacturing jobs.
Part of this push also comes from the manufacturing struggles Pratt is having with its next generation commercial jet engine, the PurePower geared turbo fan. As demand for the fuel-efficient engine rises, the company is already having trouble keeping to the delivery schedule it promised to its customers.
Plane maker Airbus told The Wall Street Journal Monday it still expects to make its delivery targets this year, despite a warning from Pratt that engine shipments may be delayed. United Technologies, Pratt’s parent, told investors last week that it may only ship about 150 geared tubofan engines by the end of the year, falling short of the 200 it had promised.
Canadian plane maker Bombardier has already lowered its expected delivery targets this year, because of its reliance on the Pratt engine.
