<<go back
August 15, 2005

Calhoun Community College Among Colleges Awarded
$3 Million NSF Grant to Support National Center of
Aerospace Excellence

Decatur , AL -- Calhoun Community College is among a consortium of 14 community colleges across the nation to be awarded a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support ongoing operations of SpaceTEC.

SpaceTEC, the National Center of Excellence for Aerospace Technical Education headquartered at Brevard Community College (FL) and based at Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is a national resource for aerospace technical education and engages in the development and delivery of curriculum for post-secondary associate degrees as well as initiating and managing the first-ever nationwide certification program for aerospace technicians.

Founded in 2001, SpaceTEC serves as the focal point for technical education for the aerospace workforce, assisting in developing qualified technicians with national credentials. The SpaceTEC program utilizes partnerships among its member academic institutions, government agencies, and employers to promote improvement in the education and professional career development of technicians. The Center's community college and university partners are located in areas throughout the country where aerospace and defense-related technical activities are prevalent. Calhoun, along with regional aerospace industry in Alabama and Marshall Space Flight Center , have been primary participants in local and national advisory committees, curriculum development, marketing and public relations and in the preparation and testing of national skill assessments.

The NSF grant award will support implementation of the SpaceTEC Certified Aerospace Technician program modeled after other nationally recognized certifications such as the Federal Aviation Administration's Airframe & Powerplant certificate and the automotive industry's Automotive Service Excellence program. Recognizing that technical and competitive changes in the industry are requiring broader skill sets for aerospace technicians, major employers, including Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company, and United Space Alliance are supporting this national certification program.

Calhoun, which has offered an Aerospace Technology degree since the fall of 2000, was one of the founding institutions in the SpaceTEC consortium of colleges. To date, more than 90% of Calhoun's Aerospace Technology graduates are working in the local aerospace industrial community.

For more information about SpaceTEC or the Certified Aerospace Technician Program, contact Jim Swindell, Calhoun's Assistant Dean for Technology Education at 256/306-2539, or visit the SpaceTEC website at www.SpaceTEC.org .

Coverage of this release:

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Janet Kincherlow-Martin
Director of Public Relations
(256) 306-2561

Back to Menu