Diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, is a priority at most organizations both for moral and business imperatives. However, when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industries, the urgency is elevated. The STEM workforce is 89% white and 72% male, according to the National Science Foundation.
Leaders in the space industry are hoping to change this landscape. The Aerospace Corporation is an American nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research development center in El Segundo, California. It is spearheading SpaceWorkforce2030, an initiative that aims to offer 3,000 paid internships to minority students. So far, in this inaugural year, 900 students have signed up.
What makes the program unique is the fact that Aerospace is partnering with 30 other space companies, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and Blue Origin to nurture young talent and build future pipelines.
“We're not competing over this pool,” says Heather Laychak, Vice President and Chief People Officer at Aerospace. “It's really about how we together are generating the most diverse workforce.”
Laychak, along with other executives, has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a cornerstone of the organization. Their goal is to integrate DEI into every aspect of the business and ensure that everyone is on the same page about prioritizing these strategies.
In fact, Aerospace CEO Steve Isawkowitz champions the SpaceWorkforce2030 program, and he demands companies that join this alliance are committed from the top of their organizations, which means CEOs are taking the lead. For DEI strategies to work, leaders must set the tone and take action, so it becomes part of the culture and agenda.
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Aerospace has leveraged employee resource groups (ERGs). Executives sponsor ERGs for three-year rotations. Laychak herself sponsored the women’s ERG and has now moved onto sponsoring the LGBTQ+ group. This is a way for executives to learn what’s important to those in these ERGs and determine priorities.
Recently, Laychak spoke with HR Exchange Network about making diversity and inclusion the focus of the culture and contributing to meaningful change, so that space organizations better reflect the society in which they operate. Here is what she said:
HREN: What can you tell us about DEI at your organization?
HL: It's not enough to just focus on diversity. It's also about the inclusivity of the work environment you provide, so that people can thrive there. We established an Executive Diversity Council. We have incredible executive support. That is really key. To have a CEO and executive leadership team that really cares deeply about DEI is critical.
HREN: After the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, many companies had to confront the issue, and more incidents with police continue today. What have you done to address this issue at Aerospace?
We talked to our employees about how they felt and what they had experienced. We decided to partner with the El Segundo Police Department to say, ‘Look, we have employees who are having experiences with your department that we're concerned about, and we want to know that there's a commitment to addressing it.’ We brought employees with us to share some of their experiences. We want to be a place, where our employees can talk to us if they run into those kinds of issues.
HREN: Can you speak to the workplace transformation and changes happening in HR?
HL: We're all in big time learning mode, but I think that it has made us become more resilient, adaptive, and compassionate leaders, even more so than some of us were before. It really is about how we come together, which is exactly what SpaceWorkforce2030 is all about.
HREN: Getting more of those from underrepresented groups into the space business is a big challenge. How are you tackling this?
HL: You have to have a strategy that starts with K through 12. How do you nurture that learning? How do you cultivate that? How do you get people excited about it? If people are struggling, how do you continue to support them, so they stay the course and don’t give up?
For example, during COVID, we had to think about how to help students who might not have the means to get a computer or tutoring they need so they continue learning. How is the COVID learning going to impact us long term?
Then, it is also about representation. The more diverse you are at the top, the more that people can see that's a company committed to diversity. That is a company, where you can see yourself growing.
HREN: What is the structure of the SpaceWorkforce2030 efforts?
HL: [U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is on board with the program.] The White House has laid out three pillars: inspire, prepare, and employ to strengthen that talent pipeline end to end. We inspire in our K-12 offerings. For example, Girl Scouts has reached out for a Girl Scouts badge and they want to partner with us.
In some way, all these companies are providing mentoring and tutoring. Then, we prepare the interns, who come from partner universities, through their work experiences. The final phase is employment. This is how we’re changing the face of space.