Beyond the Classroom: Securing the Future Aerospace Workforce

LONG BEACH, CA – December 11, 2025 – While headlines in the strategic defense sector often focus on hypersonic missiles and next-generation satellites, a foundational element of national technological superiority is being forged far from the testing grounds and factory floors. Here in Long Beach, a community college has just received a designation that, while seemingly local, has profound implications for the future of America's aerospace and defense industrial base.

Long Beach City College (LBCC) has been named one of the first 31 California Black-Serving Institutions (BSI). This official recognition is not merely an academic honor; it represents a critical development in the cultivation of a diverse, high-skilled STEM workforce essential for maintaining America's competitive edge in an era of renewed great power competition. For the dense ecosystem of defense contractors and space innovators in Southern California, this is a strategic investment in their most vital resource: human capital.

The New Front Line: Competition for STEM Talent

The long-term competition between the United States and its strategic rivals will be decided as much in laboratories and engineering bays as on any physical battlefield. A steady pipeline of scientists, engineers, and technicians is the lifeblood of the defense industrial base. Yet, for years, leaders have warned of a looming shortfall in domestic STEM talent, creating a vulnerability that jeopardizes future innovation and readiness.

Southern California, a historic cradle of aerospace innovation, is at the epicenter of this challenge. The region is home to a high concentration of prime contractors and disruptive startups that are all competing for a limited pool of qualified individuals. The solution is not just to produce more graduates, but to broaden the talent base by tapping into communities that have been historically underrepresented in these critical fields. This is not simply a matter of social equity; it is a national security imperative.

By systematically failing to cultivate talent from all segments of the population, the nation is effectively fighting for technological dominance with one hand tied behind its back. The BSI designation and the work it represents at institutions like LBCC are a direct, tactical response to this strategic vulnerability, aiming to unlock the potential of a demographic crucial to the future workforce.

A Strategic Blueprint: California's Black-Serving Institution Framework

The California BSI designation, established by Senate Bill 1348 and championed by leaders like Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, is a deliberate piece of policy engineering. It creates a formal framework for identifying and supporting institutions that are demonstrably successful in advancing Black student achievement. To qualify, a college must not only meet enrollment thresholds—such as having at least 1,500 Black students—but also provide hard data proving its effectiveness in improving retention, graduation, and transfer rates.

This data-driven approach moves beyond rhetoric and focuses on measurable outcomes. The designation, valid for five years, requires institutions to have a strategic plan for closing equity gaps, providing robust support services, and fostering a culturally relevant learning environment. It’s a model of accountability designed to produce tangible results.

Furthermore, the legislative intent points toward dedicated financial support. Proposed legislation like AB 335, which would establish a $75 million grant program for BSIs, signals that the state sees this as a critical investment. This funding would enable colleges like LBCC to scale up the very programs that earned them the designation, creating a powerful feedback loop of success. In essence, California is building a state-sponsored infrastructure for talent development aimed squarely at filling a national need.

“As a proud LBCC alumnus and Trustee, this designation represents a powerful affirmation of the work our college has undertaken to uplift and support Black students,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuk, President of the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees. “It reflects our commitment to creating a campus where every Black student feels a sense of belonging, purpose, and opportunity.”

Engineering Success: How Local Programs Build a National Asset

LBCC’s BSI designation was not a surprise; it was the result of years of targeted, systematic effort. The college’s impressive results offer a compelling case study in how to build a diverse talent pipeline from the ground up. Over the last five years, the number of Black students earning a degree has increased by 119%, and transfers to four-year institutions—the primary pathway to engineering and science baccalaureates—are up 51% in just three years.

Perhaps most critically for the defense and tech sectors, LBCC has seen a staggering 271% increase in Black students successfully completing transfer-level math courses over the past decade. This is the gateway to any advanced STEM career. These numbers are not accidental. They are the direct output of programs like the college’s new Black Student Success Center, which provides everything from tutoring and financial literacy workshops to peer mentoring, and the Umoja Scholars Program, a learning community with a culturally relevant curriculum designed to enhance educational experiences.

“At LBCC, equity is not an initiative—it is part of our institutional identity,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC Superintendent-President. He emphasized that the designation honors the collective work of faculty, staff, and community partners in creating an environment “where Black students, faculty, and staff are seen, valued, and supported to thrive.” These programs act as a force multiplier, taking students from local high schools and preparing them to excel at top-tier universities and, ultimately, in high-demand careers.

The Unfinished Mission: Closing the Gap for National Advantage

Leaders at LBCC are clear-eyed, viewing the BSI designation as a milestone, not a mission-accomplished banner. Despite tremendous progress, significant work remains. The average course success rate for Black students at the college, 56%, still lags behind the general student body. Closing this remaining gap is the next critical phase of the mission.

From a strategic perspective, this gap represents untapped potential that the region’s—and the nation’s—aerospace and defense sectors cannot afford to waste. Each student who does not succeed is a potential engineer, cyber analyst, or supply chain manager lost to the industrial base. The BSI status provides LBCC with the mandate and, hopefully, the future resources to double down on what works and innovate new solutions to eliminate these final barriers.

The story of Long Beach City College’s transformation is a powerful reminder that national strategy is built on local action. Securing the nation's technological future requires more than just funding advanced weapons systems; it requires a deep and sustained investment in the people who will design, build, and maintain them. By creating a more inclusive and effective educational pathway, LBCC is doing more than serving its community—it is strengthening a vital link in the chain of American innovation and security.