A look at how Key Innovative Solutions is impacting the workforce for the aerospace industry - equipping school districts with effective programs.

https://www.globalspaceportalliance.com/a-workforce-ready-for-lift-off/

A Workforce Ready for Lift Off: Space Florida’s Education and Talent Strategy Florida is quietly turning everyday classrooms into launchpads for the space economy. During a recent GSA Academic Advisory Group session, Space Florida’s Michael Miller and workforce partner Karin Hoffman shared how the state’s Space Academy program is evolving into a model that other spaceport regions can adapt to grow talent, attract tenants, and strengthen local economies.

From Shuttle Sunset to Workforce Takeoff Space Florida was created in 2008 as an independent special district when the Space Shuttle program drew to a close. The state knew it faced the loss of thousands of highly skilled workers and a risk that commercial launch companies might look elsewhere. The original statute that formed Space Florida included a workforce and education component. For years, that section sat largely unused. When Miller arrived, he saw an opportunity hiding in plain sight: use that mandate to turn Florida’s existing career and technical education (CTE) system into a statewide talent engine for aerospace and related industries. Rather than building an education system from scratch, Space Florida looked at what already existed in the state’s 67 school districts and technical colleges and asked a simple question: how can these programs become the on-ramp to a space career?

Gathering the Right People in the Same Room The first step was conversation at scale. Space Florida convened launch providers, supply chain companies, state education officials, and district CTE leaders at the Space Life Sciences Lab outside Kennedy Space Center. With support from partners like NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, the National Space Council, and the Center for Education Reform, they ran a hands-on exercise. Industry leaders covered the walls with sticky notes that listed job titles and skills. For each role, they indicated what a student should be able to do: • In high school • One year after high school • Two years after high school • Four years and beyond The results covered six industry clusters that connect directly to the aerospace economy: • Aerospace and aviation • Advanced manufacturing • Construction • Cybersecurity • Logistics • Semiconductors Educators then cross-walked this list against Florida’s Master Credentials List, which catalogs approved CTE courses and industry certifications. The insight was powerful: many of the skills industry needed were already embedded inside existing high school and technical college programs. The missing link was visibility and branding.

“Space Math” and the Power of a Name One of the program’s signature ideas is deceptively simple. When Miller talks to districts, he suggests a question for students: Would you rather take math, or space math? The same applies to welding, HVAC, wire harnessing, logistics, and other trades. Add the word “space” and students, parents, and counselors immediately see a future tied to launches, satellites, and lunar infrastructure instead of a generic job title. Through the Space Florida Academy brand, districts highlight existing programs that align with the skills industry identified. The coursework stays the same, yet the label changes student perception. Guidance counselors gain a clearer story to tell families. Parents see a path from high school to high-wage roles in a growth industry. Miller shared that early data from the program shows a strong response: more schools want to join, and students are responding to the new framing.

Scaling A Statewide Space Academy In its first year, the Space Florida Academy network included 23 “early adopter” school districts. Within that framework: • About 185 high schools participated. • More than 577 CTE programs were identified as space-relevant. • Over 6,000 students earned Space Florida Academy certificates. • Thousands of teachers engaged in work-based learning and related activities. The second year is already expanding to roughly 35 districts as additional Memoranda of Understanding move forward. Because districts use programs and equipment that already exist, the model creates momentum without requiring major new capital investments. Florida’s structure gives it further leverage. Forty-eight of the state’s 67 districts operate technical colleges that sit inside the K-12 system. High school students can move directly into these programs, and adults can upskill through the same institutions. That continuity means a welder, technician, or cybersecurity specialist can pursue additional credentials aligned with space industry needs throughout a career. The result is a clearer map of talent for employers. Space companies can see which districts produce graduates with specific credentials and where to locate facilities to tap into that workforce.

Orbit: Building A Frictionless Path to Space Careers Space Florida is now layering a broader initiative on top of the Academy network called ORBIT, short for Opportunities and Resources Building Industry Talent. ORBIT’s goal is to make the pathway from classroom to launchpad as smooth as possible. Key elements in development include: • Teacher training that brings working engineers, technicians, and retiring NASA personnel into education as mentors or second-career educators. • Expanded work-based learning experiences, including internships, facility visits, and expert talks in classrooms. • A digital portal where students can upload credentials and certificates so companies can find qualified candidates quickly when jobs open. The vision is a “ready workforce” database that enables employers to search by skill, credential, and geography rather than starting every hiring cycle from scratch.

Benefits Beyond the Launch Range Karen emphasized that this framework is an economic development tool for the entire state, not just the Space Coast. Supply chains do not need to sit beside the launch pad. As she pointed out, Kentucky’s largest export is aerospace components, even though the state has no launch site. A similar pattern applies in Florida. Companies that manufacture components, design tooling, handle logistics, or manage data centers can locate in communities far from the Cape, as long as the talent exists there. Space Florida Academy sites give these companies a map of where that talent is growing. The program also strengthens student outcomes in very traditional ways: • Technical manuals demand advanced reading levels, so students push their literacy skills higher when the subject connects to a compelling goal. • Applied math in welding, avionics, or logistics suddenly matters because it ties directly to real equipment and missions. • Engagement improves attendance, retention, and graduation rates as students see a clear purpose for school. Even topics like security clearance become teachable content. Students learn how online behavior, financial choices, and personal decisions affect eligibility for sensitive roles in aerospace and defense. That awareness raises the floor for professionalism long before a first job interview.

A Template for Spaceports and States Space Florida’s experience speaks directly to spaceports that want to be more than infrastructure providers. The fastest-growing sites are the ones that act as conveners, bringing education, industry, and government together around workforce and community impact. For states and regions that want to replicate the model, Miller and Karen offer a straightforward starting sequence: 1. Inventory the existing CTE ecosystem. Identify approved credentials, courses, and programs that already match aerospace and adjacent industries. 2. Convene industry and education together. Use structured sessions like the sticky-note exercise to capture real skills and job titles at multiple time horizons. 3. Align and rebrand. Map industry needs to existing programs and create a clear brand that signals a pathway into the space economy. 4. Track credentials as economic development data. Show companies where talent is being created and use that information to recruit tenants and employers. 5. Build wraparound support. Add teacher training, work-based learning, and digital tools that help students and companies find each other. During the call, Karin stressed that Florida is open to sharing playbooks, lessons learned, and frameworks with other states. The invitation is simple: Space Florida will walk interested regions through their process, help them identify the structures they already have, and highlight gaps that need attention.

Why It Matters for Spaceport Insights Readers Global launch numbers are climbing, constellations are multiplying, and demand for space-enabled services is accelerating. The bottleneck is people. Estimates of a million-worker shortfall in the coming years make workforce development a core part of spaceport strategy. Florida’s Space Academy and ORBIT initiative illustrate a practical way forward: • Use existing educational infrastructure. • Give it a space identity that excites students and families. • Tie it directly to industry-defined skills. • Treat talent as a primary economic development asset. For spaceports seeking to anchor regional ecosystems, programs like these can turn nearby schools and colleges into true partners, create reasons for companies to locate near the spaceport, and inspire the next generation to see “space math,” “space welding,” and “space logistics” as achievable careers. Space Florida is demonstrating that when states align education, industry, and economic development around the space economy, the result is more than a program. It is a template for sustainable growth that any launch region can adapt to its own landscape.