Delgado prepares students for many of the jobs at SpaceX

August 31, 2026

Delgado Community College Chancellor Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib sees the proposed SpaceX spaceport as a significant opportunity, to connect Delgado’s existing workforce and technical programs with emerging jobs in the region. SpaceX has indicated that the project could create 3,000 to 10,000 jobs, and those positions will extend far beyond engineers and rocket scientists to include technicians, welders, electricians, HVAC workers, builders, hospitality workers, and other support roles.

Littleton-Steib says Delgado is already preparing students for many of these careers. The college has strategically aligned its technical programs, including welding, electrical, HVAC, instrumentation, automation, robotics, engineering and technology, with STEM fields and the kinds of skills SpaceX is expected to need.

Perhaps most importantly, Delgado hopes to work directly with SpaceX to identify its specific workforce needs.  Littleton-Steib says she and her team are already pursuing a meeting with the company to determine what skills and training will be needed immediately. If SpaceX requires training that Delgado does not currently offer, the college says its workforce-development arm can quickly customize of create programs to fill those gaps.

The larger goal is to make sure Louisiana residents are prepared to take advantage of these opportunities rather than leaving the state to find good-paying careers elsewhere. Delgado wants to be an adaptable workforce partner for SpaceX, helping students move from classroom and technical training into the new jobs created by the spaceport.

Delgado sees SpaceX not simply as an employer, but as an opportunity to expand and tailor its educational programs, so that local students have the skills needed to fill the thousands of jobs potentially coming to Louisiana.

View the fox 8 news interview for more details.