Meeting the challenge of change

It has been said that in life there are no guarantees. Yet for some, "job security" seems to mean "guaranteed employment for life." Perhaps this appears to be a fairly simple concept to put into practice, too — employees who want to work, love their jobs and do them well should be able to keep them, right?

Turns out it's not quite as simple as that. Times have changed from the days of parents and grandparents who hired into and retired from the same company. Today, according to information from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years a worker has been with his or her current employer in the U.S. is 3.5 years. Apparently, the workforce as a whole moves around quite a bit.

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THE NEED FOR SPEED

Behind the doors of the Bomarc building in Everett, Wash., Boeing employees are shaping the future of commercial aviation. They do so in the shadow of an industry in turmoil. It's a task no one takes lightly.

Next to the model of the futuristic Sonic Cruiser are huge photos of the beginning of Boeing — women stitching fabric wings, the red barn where it all started, and the large World War II production facility in Renton, Wash., that put Boeing into the aviation game to stay. This contrast of history and future helps keep the team focused on the need to "get it right."

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You say you want a REVOLUTION

Southwest Airlines probably didn't realize it was starting a revolution back in 1971, when it introduced a little low-fare carrier in Texas, and launched a profitable new airline business model at the same time.

The model called for an airline to fly one type of airplane — the Boeing 737; use secondary airports; and offer passengers inexpensive, point-to-point, no-frills flights.

The low-fare revolution hit Europe some 20 years later, starting first in Ireland and then in Great Britain, two island nations that are home base for Ryanair and easyJet, respectively.

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