Next Gen STEM for Careers
Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Opportunities
NASA is uniquely positioned to serve as a catalyst and national convener, igniting and accelerating the development of America’s aerospace workforce. This pipeline is essential for expanding U.S. manufacturing capabilities, maintaining global leadership in space, and strengthening national security.
The aerospace industry offers outstanding career opportunities for skilled technical workers who possess strong technological, scientific, and engineering capabilities—many of which do not require a bachelor’s degree for entry.
These careers provide several compelling advantages:
• Higher median salaries compared to other occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree.
• Lower unemployment rates than workers in similar roles with comparable educational requirements.
Virtual Career Connections
Provide opportunities to discover programs at community colleges, trade schools, and colleges/universities.
Students engage with NASA professionals and industry experts to explore how diverse education pathways—from technical training and apprenticeships to engineering degrees—can lead to high-demand careers in space exploration. These experiences inspire students and help build a strong pipeline of skilled workers prepared to support America’s space exploration goals while developing rewarding, well‑paid careers.
Career Technical Education Days
NASA seeks to offer day-long opportunities at NASA centers to high school and community college students who are actively participating in career and technical programs.
The Career Technical Education (CTE) Days experience will introduce students to essential technical skills, daily job responsibilities, and the diverse educational and training pathways that support NASA’s technical workforce. Each CTE Day will feature opportunities such as facility tours, authentic hands-on activities, discussions with subject matter experts, and more.
In addition, an hour-long virtual career connection will be offered, expanding access to students who are not located near a NASA center.
Aerospace State Hubs
NASA seeks to establish state or regionally focused hubs that will serve as strategic centers for developing and sustaining a skilled technical workforce aligned with aerospace industry and NASA mission needs.
Serving as a focal point for NASA, a state’s Hub facilitates coordination between NASA industry partners, education providers, and state/regional economic development agencies to accelerate workforce readiness efforts by creating clear pathways for students to pursue high needs skilled technical workforce careers.
Career Technical Education Resources
Use these resources to explore the wide range of careers that support the agency’s missions—far beyond the familiar roles of rocket scientists and astronauts—and to discover how each person’s path to NASA is as unique as the work they do.
Virtual Career Connections
NASA missions serve as a powerful catalyst, inspiring students to pursue careers in aerospace technology.
Students connect with NASA professionals and industry experts to discover how diverse educational pathways-from technical training and apprenticeships to engineering degrees-lead to in-demand careers/jobs in space exploration.
Through NASA-unique virtual career connections, students gain direct exposure to the cutting-edge technologies and mission-critical work that will power humanity’s return to the Moon and eventual journey to Mars.
These experiences can inspire students creating a robust pipeline of skilled workers ready to support America’s space exploration goals while building rewarding, well-compensated careers.
Virtual Career Connection Opportunities
Virtual Event: NASA’s CTE Day at Johnson Space Center
Join NASA Johnson Space Center for a look at the skilled technical careers in robotics, rovers & space Exploration! Students will dive into the world of rovers, robots, and real space missions through a structured experience that connects technology, engineering, and space exploration. Event Date: Aug. 28
Virtual Event: NASA’s CTE Day at Marshall Space Flight Center
Join NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to get an up-close look at the technical expertise that powers NASA's missions. Students will discover how skilled technicians form the backbone of MSFC's mission success. From operating advanced manufacturing and 3D-printing equipment to assembling, testing, and maintaining critical propulsion and spacecraft components, students will gain insight into the wide range of technical disciplines represented at Marshall Space Flight Center. Registration Deadline: Sept. 8 Event Date: Sept. 16
Virtual Event: NASA's CTE Day at Kennedy Space Center
Join NASA Kennedy Space Center to explore how rapid prototyping and problem-solving are critical to achieving complex NASA missions and advancing space exploration. Students will hear directly from Kennedy Space Center subject matter experts about their career journeys to NASA, what a typical day in their role looks like, and the diverse pathways available for students pursuing technical careers at the agency. Registration Deadline: Sept. 15 Event Date: Sept. 24
Virtual Event: NASA’s CTE Day at Stennis Space Center
Join NASA Stennis Space Center to discover hands-on technical careers that support the NASA mission to the moon and beyond! Students will explore career pathways that are in high demand at NASA Stennis Space Center, including roles that do not require a four-year degree. Through this virtual experience, students will gain insight into the wide range of technical disciplines that power rocket propulsion testing and autonomous systems development. Registration Deadline: Sept. 21 Event Date: Sept. 30
Career Technical Education Days
NASA seeks to offer day-long opportunities at NASA centers to high school and community college students who are actively participating in career and technical programs. This experience will provide students with insights on essential critical skills, daily job responsibilities, various educational and training pathways utilized by NASA’s technical workforce. Each CTE day will offer various experiences such as tours, authentic hands-on activities, conversations with subject matter experts, etc.
As an additional feature of CTE days, an hour long virtual career connection will be offered providing experiences to students not located near a NASA center.
Opportunities at NASA Centers
CTE Day at Johnson Space Center
Students will dive into the world of rovers, robots, and real space missions through a structured, hands-on experience that connects technology, engineering, and space exploration. This event includes guided tours of JSC’s most exclusive training facilities where students will engage and shadow real-world technicians. A hybrid panel featuring NASA subject matter experts and industry suppliers will also provide practical insights into careers and real-world applications. Event Date: Aug. 28
CTE Day at Marshall Space Flight Center
At Marshall Space Flight Center, students will get an up-close look at the technical expertise that powers NASA’s missions, experiencing firsthand how skilled technicians form the backbone of MSFC’s mission success—from operating advanced manufacturing and 3D‑printing equipment to assembling, testing, and maintaining critical propulsion and spacecraft components. Event Date: Sept. 16
CTE Day at Kennedy Space Center
Rapid prototyping and problem-solving are critical to achieving complex NASA missions and advancing space exploration. In this event, students will hear directly from Kennedy Space Center subject matter experts about their career journeys to NASA, what a typical day in their role looks like, and the diverse pathways available for students pursuing technical careers at the agency. Students will explore the wide range of technical disciplines represented in KSC's Prototype Development Laboratory (PDL), where NASA engineers, technicians, fabricators and machinists all collaborate to solve complex operational challenges at America's premier launch site. Event Date: Sept. 24
CTE Day at Stennis Space Center
Career Technical Education (CTE) Day at NASA's Stennis Space Center introduces local community college students to hands-on technical careers that support the NASA mission to the moon and beyond. Students will engage with NASA employees during a panel discussion and participate in behind-the-scenes tours of rocket engine test stands, industrial shops, and other technical workspaces to see how applied skills are used in real world operations that support the NASA Stennis Space Center mission. Event Date: Sept. 30
NASA State Hubs
NASA State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce
The rapid expansion of the space economy and renewed national priorities in human space exploration have created an urgent demand for a robust skilled technical workforce—individuals in critical science- and engineering-based roles who do not require a bachelor’s degree. To address nationwide shortages and ensure U.S. competitiveness in aerospace and defense, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is launching the NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs (NAS_Hub) initiative.
NASA seeks to establish state or regionally focused hubs that will serve as strategic centers for developing and sustaining a skilled technical workforce aligned with aerospace industry and NASA mission needs.
Serving as a focal point for NASA, a state’s Hub facilitates coordination between NASA industry partners, education providers, and state/regional economic development agencies to accelerate workforce readiness efforts by creating clear pathways for students to pursue high needs skilled technical workforce careers.
State Hub Virtual Kickoffs
Virtual Kickoff #1: Aug. 11, 2026
Virtual Kickoff #2: Aug. 13, 2026
*More details to follow*
Funding Opportunities
Career Technical Education Resources
Use these resources to explore the wide range of careers that support the agency’s missions—far beyond the familiar roles of rocket scientists and astronauts—and to discover how each person’s path to NASA is as unique as the work they do.
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Other Opportunities
GLOBE Mission Earth Supports Career Technical Education
Lunabotics Challenge
Human Exploration Rover Challenge
App Development Challenge
NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH)
Hands-on Activities
Gaining Traction on the Mars Activity
Build Launch Recover: Recover a Spacecraft Activity
Build Launch Recover: Build a Crane
Build Launch Recover: Launch a Rocket
Build Lanch Recover: Build a Crawler
Habitation: Assessing Structural Integrity
Habitation: Build a Space Habitat
Habitation: Water Filtration
Habitation: Radiation Shield
Artemis Generation Spacesuits Activity
Spacesuits: Heads up Display Activity
NASA Exploration Experience Guide
RoboTools Activity
Deep Space Networks Activity
Slowing Down in Space Activity
Sensor Solutions Activity
Air Traffic Management
Drones to the Rescue
Prioritize Your Flight
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Guide
Wingin' It Pape Airplane Activity
Robotic Search and Rescue Challenge
Sustainable Aviation STEM Toolkit
Digging on the Moon Activity
Eggstronaut Parachute Challenge
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