Overview
- NASA announced the new State Hubs program Aug. 20 and awarded Minnesota State a $1.5 million cooperative agreement to run a three-year hub focused on technician pipelines.
- Minnesota State's Transportation Center of Excellence will lead the effort and has set targets to enroll 1,800–2,400 students and award 500–700 aerospace credentials over three years.
- The program plans to create 140–200 registered apprenticeships and internships and to reach 1,000–1,400 high school students with career awareness and hands-on learning.
- Partner colleges named so far include Dakota County Technical College, Pine Technical and Community College, and Ridgewater College, which will deliver training in welding, precision machining, automation, robotics, avionics, nondestructive testing and systems integration.
- Minnesota State cited Lightcast 2024–2026 data showing roughly 8,000 aerospace-related openings across 830+ companies, and officials say the hub is now in the early planning stage before large-scale training and employer placements begin.