70,000 students and describes its mission as both academically and workforce-driven. He notes that Brevard has “a strong history of high academic achievement” and “does an excellent job of preparing kids for four-year university,” while also offering “a robust career and technical education component” rooted in the county’s unique environment. “We are really tied to the space industry,” he says. “We are not only launching rockets, but we are also building rockets here. We feel like our job as a school district is to provide some of the human capital that the space industry needs.” With companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, L3 Harris, and Northrop Grumman expanding along the Space Coast, human capital is more in demand than ever. Brevard Public Schools has responded with programs that begin in elementary school, continue through advanced CTE pathways, and are supported by strong student and teacher support systems. PREPARING THE SPACE WORKFORCE For Lockheed Martin, Brevard is central to NASA’s Artemis program and the future of deep space exploration. The company now builds the Orion spacecraft locally, creating a growing demand for skilled technicians. Brian Baluta, Director of State and Local Government Relations for Lockheed Martin Space, explains that “for the first seventy years of the space coast, this is the place for launch,” with rockets and spacecraft typically built elsewhere and shipped to Florida. However, the last decade has transformed the region, which is increasingly the home to production and launch.“We build the Orion Artemis spacecraft here,” he says, a shift that significantly increases the need for skilled technical workforce. Baluta is quick to dispel the idea that only engineers can contribute to space exploration. “There is a misconception that you need to be a rocket scientist to contribute,” he says, emphasizing that technicians — “the eyes and the hands of the engineers” — are essential.“We do not get back to the moon without our technical workforce.” 197 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 BREVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx