NASA awards $10.5 million for seven state aerospace workforce hubs

NASA has awarded approximately US$10.5 million to seven institutions across the United States to establish a network of state-based aerospace workforce hubs aimed at addressing growing demand for skilled technical workers.

Announced on 19 August, the funding forms part of the NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs initiative, known as NASA State Hubs. The program is intended to strengthen pathways between education, training and employment as the US space and aerospace sectors expand.

The initiative targets skilled technical occupations that are critical to aerospace operations and manufacturing but do not necessarily require a four-year university degree.

NASA said the expansion of the space economy, combined with renewed US priorities in human space exploration, has increased demand for workers in science and engineering-related technical occupations. The agency also links workforce development to US competitiveness across aerospace and defence.

“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, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.

Ho said NASA was positioned to act as a catalyst and convener to accelerate aerospace workforce development and foster the next generation of technicians.

The seven hubs are expected to bring together aerospace employers, community colleges, high-school career and technical education programs and workforce organisations.

NASA said the initiative will focus on high-demand occupations including welders, electricians and machinists, along with other technically skilled positions requiring advanced STEM knowledge.

The organisations selected to establish the hubs are Antelope Valley Community College District in Lancaster, California; Georgia Tech Research Corporation; Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; Southern Utah University; Space Florida; the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupation Education through Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado; and the Texas Space Commission.

Over the next three years, the organisations will develop programs based on skills identified as priorities by industry, create clearer pathways through education and apprenticeships, and strengthen connections between employers and potential workers.

The awards reflect the increasingly diverse workforce requirements of the modern space sector. Alongside engineers and scientists, NASA and industry are facing rising demand for specialised technicians to manufacture, integrate, test and maintain complex aerospace systems as commercial launch, satellite manufacturing, advanced manufacturing and human exploration programs expand.

Individual hubs will develop programs reflecting their regional aerospace industries and workforce requirements.

Georgia’s Southeast Space Technology & Aerospace Readiness Skills Hub is expected to connect Georgia Tech with technical colleges, career academies and aerospace employers, with planned training in areas including avionics, propulsion, advanced manufacturing, systems testing, machining and assembly.

The Utah hub is expected to link high-school career and technical education programs, post-secondary institutions and aerospace employers, while developing employer-validated skills mapping and expanding pathways into aerospace employment.

In Texas, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement has awarded the Texas Space Commission one of seven cooperative agreements nationwide under the Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs initiative, according to a Texas Space Commission release dated 21 August 2026.

Through the three-year effort, the Texas Space Commission said it will serve as NASA’s focal point for coordinating employers, education and training providers, workforce organisations and economic-development partners across the state to address technical talent needs for future space missions and the broader aerospace industry.

The commission said it will establish and lead the Texas Space STEM Alliance, linking K–12 career and technical education, community and technical colleges, higher education, regional workforce boards and aerospace employers. A Texas Aerospace Pathways Plus portal is planned to map training programs and regional gaps and serve as a registry of internships, apprenticeships, employment opportunities and scholarships.

NASA’s State Hubs initiative is being funded by the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement through its Next Gen STEM project.

NASA says Next Gen STEM is intended to prepare high-school and community-college students for aerospace careers through partnerships and competitive funding programs, while extending aerospace career opportunities beyond communities located close to its major centres.

The workforce initiative comes as NASA and the wider US space sector prepare for increasingly complex exploration and commercial programs, including Artemis and longer-term ambitions for Mars, alongside growth in commercial launch, satellite manufacturing, lunar services and other parts of the space economy.

NASA’s decision to establish regional hubs also reflects a broader challenge for space economies internationally: developing enough technicians and skilled tradespeople alongside the scientists and engineers traditionally associated with the sector.

By linking aerospace companies with schools, vocational institutions and workforce agencies, NASA is seeking to create a more coordinated pipeline from technical education into aerospace employment.

NASA said the objective is to build the technical expertise required to support its missions while strengthening US aerospace workforce and manufacturing capability.