NASA is investing approximately US$10.5 million to establish a network of state-based hubs aimed at strengthening the pipeline of skilled technicians entering the US aerospace and space industries.
The agency has awarded funding to seven organisations under its new Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs initiative, known as NASA State Hubs.
The program is designed to bring together aerospace employers, community colleges, high school career and technical education programs, and workforce development systems to create clearer pathways into high-demand technical careers.
NASA said the initiative would focus on occupations including welding, electrical work, machining and other advanced technical roles requiring specialised STEM knowledge and practical skills.
“The need for technical talent is already urgent and will only continue to grow as we return humanity to the moon and set our sights on Mars and beyond,” said Elaine Ho, NASA associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement.
Over the next three years, the seven hubs will develop programs designed around skills identified by industry while connecting students with education, training, apprenticeships and prospective employers.
The organisations selected to lead the hubs include Antelope Valley Community College District in California, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Southern Utah University, Space Florida, Arapahoe Community College in Colorado and the Texas Space Commission.
NASA’s approach recognises that the rapid expansion of the commercial space sector and major programs such as Artemis will require more than scientists, engineers and astronauts.
The industry will also depend on a large and highly skilled technical workforce capable of manufacturing, assembling, maintaining and operating increasingly complex aerospace systems.
The State Hubs initiative is funded through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and Next Gen STEM Project, which aims to prepare high school and community college students for future careers in aerospace.
NASA said the hubs would act as strategic conveners within their respective states, helping to align education and workforce systems with the specific needs of aerospace employers.
For Australia, the initiative provides a potential model for addressing one of the domestic space industry’s most significant long-term challenges: building a sufficiently large pipeline of technicians and skilled tradespeople to support sovereign launch, satellite manufacturing, advanced aerospace and space operations.
As governments and industry invest heavily in new space capabilities, the competition for skilled workers is likely to become just as important as competition for technology and capital. NASA’s State Hubs program represents a targeted effort to ensure the US aerospace workforce can keep pace with that demand.
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