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Aerospace Technical Education A Vision of Future Partnerships for Educational Transformation

By Albert Koller, D.B.A., CM Executive Director Community Colleges for Innovative Technology Transfer

Abstract The recent emphasis on education and infrastructure development for aerospace activities by a number of states (e.g., Florida, Texas, Alabama), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) has resulted in initiatives in workforce training, curriculum development, educational technology, and the space related research initiatives by post-secondary institutions. The aerospace industry has responded with strong support and endorsement by advisory groups such as the Aerospace Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) in Florida, and programs of study are now being offered to students who meet the basic requirements of prospective aerospace employees.

The Community Colleges for Innovative Technology Transfer (CCITT) – a 15 college consortium located adjacent to all the NASA Centers and several DOD facilities – has embarked upon the development of a national skills standards program that will educate the workforce of the future and use the lure of space-related activities to infuse new levels of interest in academic programs of all kinds.

The purpose of this paper is to describe existing and future programmatic needs for educational activities and the approaches being developed to utilize partnerships with business and industry, NASA and DOD facilities, educational institutions, and government organizations such as state spaceport authorities for aerospace program activities that will link K-12, community college, and university systems to sustain a qualified and technically competent workforce.

The Case for Partnerships Since at least the early 1980’s, perhaps in conjunction with the management movements of Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Improvement, partnerships have increasingly occupied strategic planning activities and deployment strategies of major organizations. Education has been a part of the partnering phenomenon from its earliest beginnings, with some of the most dramatic examples involving the donation of equipment, software, and the favorable pricing of systems by Apple Computer, Inc.

Business and education have been partners for a very long time. Educators rely on businesses for contributions to classroom technology, executives on loan, aides and internships, endowments, and a host of other important inputs that raise the capability levels of local schools, colleges, and universities well beyond what could be achieved independently by those institutions. At the same time, educational institutions teach the children and workers of successful leaders in industry, and every economic development

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Koller, A. (2002, June), Aerospace Technical Education: A Vision Of Future Partnerships For Educational Transformation Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10425