Today at the second meeting of the National Space Council, Vice President Kamala Harris announced new commitments from the US government, private sector companies, education and training organizations, and charities to support space-related STEM programs to inspire, train, and recruit the next generation of the space workforce. . To cope with today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s discoveries, the nation needs a skilled and diverse space workforce. That’s why the White House has released an interagency roadmap to support space-related STEM education and workforce. The roadmap outlines an initial set of coordinated executive actions to enhance our nation’s ability to inspire, train and recruit a diverse and inclusive space workforce, starting with raising awareness of the wide range of space careers, providing resources and job search opportunities. Better prepare for work in space. in the workplace and focus on strategies to recruit, retain and promote professionals of all backgrounds in the space workforce. To meet the current and future needs of a thriving space workforce, the public, private and philanthropic sectors must work together. To expand the administration’s efforts, the vice president announced a new alliance of space companies that will focus on improving the space industry’s capabilities to meet growing demand for skilled workers. Work on the new alliance will begin in October 2022 and will be led by Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Other industry partners include Amazon, Jacobs, L3Harris, Planet Labs PBC, Rocket Lab, Sierra Space, Space X and Virgin Orbit, joined by the Florida Space Coast Alliance Intern Program and its sponsor SpaceTEC, Airbus OneWeb Satellite, Vaya Space and Morf3D. The consortium, with support from the Aerospace Industries Association and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will create three regional pilot programs on the Florida Space Coast, the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, and Southern California with community service providers such as business school partnerships, labor unions, and others. organizations that demonstrate a reproducible and scalable approach to recruiting, learning, and creating jobs, especially for people from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM positions. In addition, federal agencies and the private sector have coordinated their efforts to advance STEM education and the space workforce by making the following commitments:
We’ll stay tuned for updates on how President Biden and his administration are working to benefit the American people and how you can get involved and help our country recover better.