Aerospace Workforce Innovation Network (AWIN) - Texas Workforce Commission Meeting Industries' Critical Workforce Needs Grant
The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP), in collaboration with San Jacinto College and other partners, received a $1.4 million grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to help prepare the region’s current and potential workforce for America’s newest space program, Constellation. Under this grant, BAHEP and its partners will help NASA and its contractors meet Constellation’s rigorous objectives and other/future challenges in the industry.
The funds will be used by several educational partners in the Houston area under the guidance of the San Jacinto College Aerospace & Biotechnology Academy. AWIN partners, in addition to BAHEP and San Jacinto College, include NASA-JSC and its contractors, Space Center Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of Houston-Main Campus (College of Engineering and College of Technology), College of the Mainland, local school districts, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council/Gulf Coast Workforce Board.
Focusing on enlargement of a regional aerospace industry competency model, undergraduate and graduate curriculum development, and pipeline growth to support the aerospace industry, AWIN includes the creation of career pathways/career advancement programs and activities that address the industry’s workforce needs. It will inspire and engage students to help build the workforce pipeline through targeted activities such as high school STEM teacher/counselor/student workshops and virtual learning, high technology interactive demonstration experiments, workshops and scholarships for high school dual credit students, mentoring and job shadowing, and other exciting means. Specific deliverables are outlines below.
Deliverables |
San Jacinto College: |
-Conduct workshops for 100 high school teachers/counselors on aerospace STEM topics
-Deliver 10 aerospace STEM distance learning activities to high school students through SCH’s DLN
-Conduct 4-day summer workshops for 900 dual-credit high school students; award 250 scholarships
-Conduct SpaceTec aerospace science workshops for 40 high school students at JSC.
-Create/revise short courses/certificates for industry re-skilling. |
College of the Mainland: |
-Provide 6-week “Early Development for General Engineering program” (EDGE) to eligible 10-12th grade students
-Award 10 scholarships of $1000 per academic year to economically disadvantaged students majoring in STEM.
-Award 5 scholarships of $500 per academic year to economically disadvantaged students majoring in STEM
-Assist 100 STEM teachers of students 14 yrs and older through 8-hour workshops |
University of Houston-Clear Lake: |
-Develop 4 web-based systems engineering courses
-Develop 3 courses towards a graduate program in engineering management |
University of Houston- Main Campus (College of Engineering): |
-Develop of update 3 Aerospace Engineering undergraduate courses and a capstone design experience
-Develop or update 4 graduate Aerospace Engineering courses
-Develop 7 graduate on-line Aerospace Engineering courses
-Develop technology interactive demonstration experiments to recruit high school students to careers in Aerospace Engineering
-Award 8 graduate Aerospace Engineering scholarships to recruit qualified students and develop high level expertise in the aerospace workforce |
University of Houston- Main Campus (College of Technology): |
-Develop 6 cyber security undergraduate courses
-Develop 12 innovative aerospace educational modules to be offered in workshops/short courses
-Develop articulation agreements with 5 community colleges in cyber security |
All Partners: |
-Develop and implement a process to map key transition points within the industry
-Develop a Competency Model for the JSC-industry and set priorities for filling gaps
-Develop articulated career paths/ladders/lattices that consider transitions within the changing space program
-Develop/implement a program to assist employees potentially or actually impacted by contract changes, workforce shifts & job losses within the transitioning space program |
Teacher training and student workshops are provided by San Jacinto College through the Aerospace and Biotechnology Academy. For further information concerning grant training participation contact:
Project/Fiscal Manager- Elizabeth Muniz
Elizabeth.A.Muniz@nasa.gov
Curriculum Development Coordinator- Ellen Bay
Ellen.A.Bay@nasa.gov
Pipeline Activities Coordinator- Joel Soto
Joel.Soto-1@nasa.gov
Administrative/Accounting Assistant- Whitney Gabbert
Whitney.Gabbert-1@nasa.gov
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