{"id":452156,"date":"2026-06-12T02:21:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T16:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1005005"},"modified":"2026-06-12T02:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T16:21:11","slug":"nasas-career-technical-education-day-highlights-technical-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=452156","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Career Technical Education Day Highlights Technical Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Students<\/a><\/figure>
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Students participate in a hands-on robotics demonstration during Career Technical Education Day at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Mark Knopp<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At NASA, remaining a global leader in exploration and innovation includes having a skilled
and dedicated workforce. Technicians play a critical role in advancing the agency\u2019s
research and missions, applying hands-on expertise across engineering, fabrication,
electronics, and countless other technical fields.<\/p>\n

To help cultivate the next generation of technical talent, NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagement
hosted Career Technical Education Day recently at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Virginia. One hundred high school and community college students from Virginia
and North Carolina attended, eager to explore the technical career paths that help drive
NASA\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany students picture NASA as only astronauts or engineers and therefore never consider
a career at NASA to be within their reach,\u201d said Bonnie Murray, lead for the Office of STEM
Engagement at NASA Langley. \u201cBringing students from local career and technical
education programs to Langley allows them the opportunity to see technicians at work,
hear the pathways those technicians followed, and understand how the skills they are
developing in their related classes have a place in the NASA workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event opened with remarks from NASA Langley\u2019s Steve Gayle, who traced his path from
an engineering technician co-op in the center\u2019s Fabrication Division and a graduate of
Langley\u2019s Engineering Technician Apprentice Program to his current role as acting
associate director. Gayle encouraged students to embrace challenges, think critically, stay
curious, and create their own opportunities as they pursue their career goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need young, bright minds,\u201d Gayle said. \u201cAt NASA, we rely on skilled hands-on
professionals \u2014 technicians who operate our wind tunnels, apply their skills in our
fabrication shops, and use their electronics knowledge to design, test, and build critical
systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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\"Students<\/a><\/figure>
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Students visit NASA Langley Research
\nCenter\u2019s model shop during Career Technical Education Day to learn about the<\/div>\n
NASA\/Ryan Hill<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Throughout the day, students toured several of Langley\u2019s world-class facilities, including
the historic Landing and Impact Research Facility and one of the center\u2019s wind tunnels. At
each stop, they received a behind-the-scenes look at the spaces where NASA technicians
build, test, and refine the tools and technologies that support the agency\u2019s missions. The
technicians spoke with students about their work, their career paths, and the skills needed
to excel in technical roles.<\/p>\n

Hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities lead by NASA technicians and
aerospace industry partners helped students connect their classroom experience with
real-world applications. Whether observing fabrication techniques, seeing instrumentation
up close, or engaging with engineering demonstrations, participants experienced how
STEM and technical skills directly translate into meaningful careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough events such as this, NASA seeks to prepare students for aerospace careers
through experiences and investments that strengthen research capacity, build technical
expertise, and expand reach in alignment with agency missions and needs,\u201d Murray said.
The event ended with a career panel moderated by NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, associate
director of mission and strategy at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston and former
math and science teacher. The panel featured four Langley technician apprentices who
shared insights into their roles and the value of strong foundational skills in technical
fields.<\/p>\n

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\"Wyatt<\/a><\/figure>
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Wyatt Healy, mechanical engineering technician apprentice at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center, answers questions during a career panel featuring NASA Langley technician apprentices during Career Technical Education Day.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Ryan Hill<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cA basic grasp of how software, systems, and even everyday items function goes a long way
as you progress in your technician journey,\u201d said Wyatt Healy, mechanical engineering
technician apprentice at NASA Langley. \u201cWhen you have those fundamentals down,
learning the more advanced concepts becomes much easier. It doesn\u2019t happen overnigh
but with a strong foundation, the sky is the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

By connecting students with NASA professionals, facilities, and hands-on experiences, the
event showcased a broad range of opportunities available in technical careers. It also
underscored NASA\u2019s commitment to building a strong, skilled workforce equipped to
support the agency\u2019s mission and tackle the challenges of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

For more information about opportunities to connect students with NASA\u2019s mission, work, and people, visit:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Brittny McGraw
NASA Langley Research Center<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At NASA, remaining a global leader in exploration and innovation includes having a skilledand dedicated workforce. Technicians play a critical role in advancing the agency\u2019sresearch and missions, applying hands-on expertise across engineering, fabrication,electronics, and countless other technical fields. To help cultivate the next generation of technical talent, NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagementhosted Career Technical Education [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15606,15611,15654],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-452156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-langley-research-center","category-stem-engagement-at-nasa"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t