GE Careers Blog.

To see how the new spate of deals with Chinese tech companies are producing jobs in the U.S., look no further than GE Aviation’s engineering hub in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s the site of the first round of major work generated from the joint venture GE launched with China’s AVIC to develop next generation avionics. Our video features some of the new hires working on the project — from a systems designer who draws on his piloting experience to an engineering project manager who was laid off from an automotive supply company going through bankruptcy.

With China experiencing one of the largest rural to urban migrations in history, a number of aviation, energy and rail agreements have been signed between GE and China over the last 14 months. During Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington this week, updates will be announced on the deals, which are designed to help one of the world’s fastest growing markets meet its infrastructure challenges in sustainable ways — and to create and support U.S. jobs, provide unprecedented access to Chinese technologies and markets, and generate a new wave of growth for GE. In terms of jobs, the deals will support nearly 4,700 in the U.S., including those along GE’s U.S. supply chain.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm touted the state’s talented workforce and continued economic diversification in a visit Monday to GE Aviation Systems Inc., which last week inked a deal to create high-tech electronics for a planned Chinese commercial airplane.

When China’s new C919 150-passenger jet enters service in 2016, it will be flying with a high-tech network of avionics, display and on-board maintenance systems made by the new joint venture being formed between GE Aviation and AVIC Systems of China. GE’s flight management technology — which allows for more efficient landing paths — will also be part of the package, adding to the narrow body jet’s overall efficiencies through fuel, noise and emissions reductions. Taken as a whole, the system will function as the backbone of the airplane’s networks and electronics and will replace dozens of traditional, standalone computers usually fitted to aircraft flying today — creating immense benefits in weight savings, improved reliability and reduced operating costs. The plane’s maker, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC), recently signed the letter of intent in a ceremony in Shanghai.

China is the world’s fastest-growing aviation market and we need to ensure GE and the United States are part of this growth,” said John Rice, Vice Chairman of GE. “Our participation helps GE to grow high-tech jobs and capabilities, while serving the aviation market with the latest commercial technology. The C919 program will support hundreds of jobs in US, China and the UK.”

GE Aviation announced that it’s creating an electric power R&D center near Dayton, Ohio. The center, which brings new jobs to the region, will develop technology for hybrid electric vehicles, naval platforms and newly designed aircraft, which have greater electricity needs. The end goal is to develop systems that will deliver electric power efficiently and robustly for GE Aviation’s military and commercial customers.