Event Time Update: Upskill Works: Aerospace will be from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. 

For more than 60 years, the Houston region has been known globally as the hub for Space exploration. It is home to NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) which provides mission control and astronaut training. The Houston region continues to develop its aerospace ecosystem within the “New Space Economy” by attracting private investors, well-established organizations and start-ups to invest and contribute to Space exploration. Upskill Houston supports the region's aerospace sector by focusing on creating strong educational pipelines and workforce development programs. This includes partnerships with educational institutions in the greater Houston region that are enhancing their aerospace programs and research facilities by training students for careers in our growing aerospace economy.  

Over the past decade, UpSkill Houston has cultivated a distinguished, nationally recognized collaborative network comprising business, industry, education, and community leaders. This alliance has fostered robust relationships and fostered an environment ripe for innovation, aimed at cultivating a workforce primed for success in Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast region. To sustain the region’s economic growth and competitiveness, the Greater Houston Partnership has a concerted focus on talent driven economic development to support the talent needs of the region’s key industry sectors. Furthermore, , the imperative to address skills gaps has intensified as our region undergoes a profound shift from an industrial to a knowledge-based, technology-driven economy.

Speakers: 

• Daniel Costello - Director, JSC HumanCapital Office, NASA
• Norman Garza - Executive Director, Texas Space Commission (TxSC)
• Sallie Kay Janes - Associate Vice Chancellor, San Jacinto Colleg
• Kelly Page - CEO, Barrios

Moderator: 

• Peter Beard, Senior Vice President, Regional Workforce Development, Greater Houston Partnership