The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will join the new initiative to develop a skilled technical workforce announced by Vice President Kamala Harris at the recent National Space Council meeting at NASA Johnson Space Center.
“Exploration is part of America’s DNA and space is one of the most exciting frontiers. People power these missions, so expanding the space talent pool for all types of jobs is crucial,” said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. “Because demand for workers is rising, the supply needs to do the same. This initiative will allow industry to share ideas that are working and test whether they can be scaled to address this growing workforce need.”
Both organizations will be a part of a new coalition committed to working together to ramp up the space industry’s capacity to meet the rising workforce demand in critical areas of manufacturing, maintenance, quality control, and testing.
“During the past few months, this industry coalition has proven its commitment to meaningfully contribute to meeting the STEM workforce needs of today and tomorrow. Engagement by the National Space Council, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Labor has helped structure the possibilities and provide key accountability for success. We are thrilled to see how together we are shaping the future of aerospace,” said AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher.
To learn more about participating companies and the outcomes of today’s National Space Council meeting, click here.
