Your Place in Space: Opportunities for Workforce Development in the Space Sector

Since the 1980s, space exploration has been “the stuff of legends” for many Americans. A seemingly faraway science and industry, most professionals in the workplace don’t consider the space sector a viable industry unless they have specific education or engineering backgrounds to forge their way into the sector. However, the Department of Labor (DOL) is taking an active approach in 2023 to expand this sector and its subsequent job opportunities to professionals of all skill sets and backgrounds. 

In December 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris convened a panel with the National Space Council to discuss goals and aspirations for the space sector’s workforce growth in 2023. Her challenge – to grow jobs across educational levels and skillsets – set in motion a series of changes made by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. 

The DOL researched and identified several technical occupations within the space sector that don’t require college degrees; they hope to expand the labor pool of the space sector and grow jobs for those with two years of college or less. 

They also convened over 40 organizations, including employers, workforce development programs, and educational resources, to validate their findings and tactically grow opportunities in this area. One of the DOL’s primary focuses is to leverage the apprenticeship model to expand educational opportunities in a sector already primed for growth. 

The DOL’s initiative includes the Registered Apprenticeship Accelerator, a program focused on developing the space sector’s skilled technical workforce. Through growth in operations, manufacturing, and other technical jobs, they aim to create a budding new workforce that can help support workers and grow this new frontier for the American economy. 

We want to help workers realize their potential in any industry and encourage those interested to learn more about the Apprenticeship Accelerator and other ways to join today’s growing space sector. Check out what workforce development programs near you Eckerd Connects offers – we’ve even got a presence on Florida’s Space Coast.