DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio air base is facing the increasingly common dilemma of an aging workforce.

The Dayton Daily News reports around half the 30,000 people working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are nearing the end of their careers.

Air Force Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr. says filling those jobs and taking care of employees is “critical.”

More than a third of employees at the Air Force Research Laboratory are eligible to retire.

This could be challenging because nearly 70% of the lab’s workforce has at least a master’s degree. According to a U.S. Census estimate from 2017, only 10% of Ohioans 25 and older hold an advanced college degree.

The president of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education says the Air Force should focus on attracting and recruiting nontraditional candidates.

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Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com