• Brevard Community College

Cocoa, FL

• Operates a repository of aerospace-related education materials and best practices.
• Supports student recruitment and outreach activities to foster interest in aerospace and STEM.
• Maintains and expands a sustainable national network of aerospace partners.
• Promotes professional development opportunities for educators and practitioners.
• Manages a national skill-based credentialing program for aerospace stakeholders.

Enrollment in SpaceTEC partner college programs grew 10% in 2010 to 154,000 students. The majority of those are in active-duty military assignments, taking courses through the Community College of the Air Force. During 2010 more than 250 people took credentialing exams monitored by SpaceTEC examiners at sites across the nation, and more than 60 people passed the rigorous SpaceTEC Core Certification exam.

During 2010, aerospace programs at SpaceTEC’s partner colleges resulted in a number of students being named as National Community College Scholars chosen to attend workshops at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, and the NASA Space Ops 2010 International Conference. In a “real life” aerospace operation stressing workplace skills, Doña Ana Community College placed 5 students as interns with UP Aerospace Inc. in New Mexico, and the payload they processed was launched from the New Mexico Spaceport in May 2010.

For the first time since its Aerospace Core Certification was initiated in 2004, the SpaceTEC certification examination was adopted by NASA in 2010 as the standard for entry into their Cooperative Student Program at Langley Research Center in Virginia. In fall 2010, 5 Thomas Nelson Community College graduates passed the SpaceTEC Core Certification examination, qualifying them to work as paid co-operative students and opening the pathway for permanent employment at NASA when they complete their baccalaureate degrees.

SpaceTEC Provides Veterans With Career Pathways

During the 2009-2010 school year, SpaceTEC partner colleges placed more than 150,000 students in aerospace-related jobs. Reflecting the changing aerospace landscape for workers, nearly all of those placements came through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) in support of active-duty military personnel. CCAF also established a Web-based clearinghouse for credentialing and education information similar to the Army COOL and Navy COOL Web sites, providing educational career tracks and certification through SpaceTEC.

SpaceTEC Expands Credentialing Resources

In the face of increasing competition in the job market, obtaining nationally recognized professional certifications has become a focus for many new graduates and transitioning aerospace workers. In response to this need and recognizing that our nation’s space program is now emphasizing commercial space transportation, the Community College of the Air Force, Antelope Valley College, Brevard Community College, Calhoun Community College, and SpaceTEC headquarters expanded the availability of readiness course materials and increased the use of both the Core Certification exam and exams covering advanced concentrations in aerospace vehicle processing, aerospace manufacturing, and composites. To maintain the capacity to support a growing demand for credentialing services, SpaceTEC examiners were offered professional development courses to maintain their status as certified examiners.