San Jacinto College opens aerospace tech training program

San Jacinto College has opened a new local facility to provide students with an entry into technician roles in the aerospace industry.

As the education training partner for the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport, the school is located within the Ellington complex.

By establishing the EDGE Center at the epicenter of the Houston Spaceport, San Jacinto is positioned to help establish the next chapter in aerospace technology, Mario Diaz, director of aviation with Houston Airport System, said in a recent press release.

“This is where the next chapter of the rivalry to space will be written by the minds and hands of Houstonians for generations to come,” Diaz said. “The talent who will learn how to build towards the future of space exploration starts right here at the EDGE Center.”

Housed in a renovated building in the Ellington complex and leased to the college through the Houston Airport System, the EDGE Center is not an acronym, said Sarah Janes, San Jacinto associate vice chancellor of continuing and professional development.

“It represents the leading edge for aerospace technician training, the cutting edge of transitioning present technologies to new and different uses, and as such, always on the edge of the future,” she said.

The center will offer students the training ground to work in a range of technical positions in the aerospace field, such as structure technician, aerospace electrical technician, composite technician, industrial automation technician, and aerospace quality technician.

The EDGE will also have a drone program that will provide drone flight and build classes.

The EDGE had been in the planning stages since the fall of 2018, with San Jacinto College working with input from representatives from the aerospace industry to develop curriculum, according to

Over the last several years, San Jacinto has built partnerships with the area’s petrochemical industry and opened several educational and training centers on or near its main central campus at Spencer Highway in Pasadena. With the EDGE Center, San Jacinto establishes that same level of presence in the region’s aerospace industry — with room to grow, said Janes.

“This (presence) will definitely expand as the aerospace industry demands,” she said. “We listen to our companies to provide what training they need for their workforce.”

This expansion will include programs for K-12 students to foster interest and developmental understanding of the fields.

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