NASA awards $10.5 million to seven aerospace workforce training hubs

NASA has handed out roughly $10.5 million among seven organizations to build state-level training pipelines for skilled technical aerospace jobs. The funding falls under a new initiative called Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs, which will support programs in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas and Utah.

The hubs are meant to link aerospace employers with community colleges, high school career and technical education programs, and workforce organizations, NASA said. The goal is to identify the skills employers actually need and widen pathways into technical careers through apprenticeships, education programs and direct connections between employers and job seekers. Welders, electricians, machinists and similar technical roles are among the target occupations.

Elaine Ho, NASA's associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement, said the agency is positioned to act as a catalyst for aerospace workforce development, according to the agency's announcement. The cooperative agreements run for three years and are funded through NASA's Next Gen STEM Project.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is getting $1.5 million to train students in avionics, nondestructive testing, precision machining, automation, robotics and systems integration. The system says it aims to reach between 1,800 and 2,400 students and issue 500 to 700 aerospace-related credentials, while creating 140 to 200 new apprenticeships and internships over three years.

Arapahoe Community College's Colorado Space Institute will receive $1.3 million to expand internships, apprenticeships and employer-directed technician training in the state. Other lead organizations chosen by NASA include Antelope Valley Community College District, along with additional groups in Florida, Georgia, Texas and Utah not detailed in available material.