SpaceTEC®, the National Science Foundation's Center of Excellence for Aerospace Technical Education, is the focal point for providing aerospace related post-secondary technical education for aerospace employees. SpaceTEC® and its industry partners offer programs that prepare aerospace technicians to become Certified Aerospace Technicians™.

To achieve national certification status, candidates must meet minimum established pre-requisites and successfully pass the computer-based knowledge exam and the oral and hands-on practical exams conducted by authorized SpaceTEC® Examiners (STE's).

In 2002, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $3 million grant to establish a National Aerospace Technical Education Center (SpaceTEC®) based at Brevard Community College (Cocoa, Florida) and housed in facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In addition to the programs at the Cape, partner institutions include eleven colleges and universities in eight states. The SpaceTEC® program has successfully certified aerospace technicians in civil, government, and defense industries, resulting in a renewal grant of an additional $3M from the NSF in 2005 for four more years of work. Additional information about SpaceTEC® related activities can be obtained by calling the SpaceTEC® Headquarters at (321) 730-1020.

The American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated and recommended college credit of up to 24 credits for the SpaceTEC® Core certification examination. The American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

ACE CREDIT connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit at colleges and universities for formal courses and examinations taken in the workplace or other settings outside traditional higher education.

For more than 30 years, colleges and universities have trusted ACE CREDIT to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate their decisions to award academic credit. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT website http://www.acenet.edu/acecredit.