Austin nonprofit aims at increasing space workforce

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Space Workforce Incubator for Texas officially launched out of Austin as a nonprofit focused on building a pipeline of skilled workers for the state's booming space economy.

SWIFT said its mission is to fill 50% of new space industry jobs with a Texas-driven workforce.

"It's a network of people who care about building the space industry. Making Texas the number one space for space business in the world."

Dr. Leon Vanstone, SWIFT Vice President

According to Texas 2036, a nonpartisan public research and advocacy organization, Texans hold roughly one in 10 of all space industry jobs nationwide.

"The space industry is projected to grow into a $1 trillion industry in less than 20 years," Texas 2036 said.

In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott signed a law that established the creation of a Texas Space Commission.

The group will distribute $350 million in taxpayer dollars toward the development of the space industry in Texas.

Gap in workforce training

SWIFT claimed there is a gap in accessible aerospace workforce training programs, and that it "identifies critical gaps in accessible aerospace training and testing opportunities that must be addressed to fully realize Texas’ potential."

The nonprofit said it will unite educational institutions, industry leaders and aspiring engineers.

"Building the connective fabric, or the connective tissue, and centralizing it so that no matter where an interested party might be," said SWIFT Co-founder Geoff Tudor.

The organization provides shared access to rocket testing platforms and hands-on mentorships to prepare students for aerospace engineering.

"This gives some opportunity to people that might not be in a four-year institution like UT, maybe they're going into ACC as a pathway, or maybe they're going into another community college, like San Jacinto College," Tudor said. "We want to give them a platform through which they can get hands-on."

SWIFT said it will act as a "hub for post-secondary institutions and a magnet for high school talent. This shared infrastructure will provide aspiring engineers with the hands-on experience necessary to excel in rocket systems, subsystems, and beyond."

SWIFT announced it awarded grants to the Rice Eclipse Rocket Team and the Texas A&M Rocket Engine Design Team to advance their designs and development projects.