It’s 2025, and a Wi-Fi enabled egg tray exists. (Yes, seriously.) It monitors freshness and suggests which eggs to cook first. Humans have managed to connect nearly every home object to the Internet, yet a third of the global population still lives in places with no mobile-broadband coverage. A lack of infrastructure and investment has left people in rural and underserved communities behind, while the rest of the world orders groceries from their smart fridges. Amazon Leo is working to close the digital divide by developing a low Earth orbit satellite broadband network that delivers reliable internet to people worldwide. The team tackling this massive technical and aerospace manufacturing challenge is headquartered in Greater Seattle. And this home base is intentional, as Greater Seattle is the largest aerospace supply chain hub in the United States. Such a gargantuan effort requires armies of talented people, an investment Amazon is prioritizing through a Amazon Leo workforce development partnership with Lake Washington Institute of Technology and an internal upskilling program. For Washingtonians, this offers an exciting pipeline into a career beyond the stars.
Amazon Leo isn’t just about building satellites. It’s also about the massive scale at which those satellites are being built, which is a volume of precision manufacturing that’s unprecedented in space tech. The proof is in the numbers: Washington state is projected to manufacture more than 75% of the world’s satellites in the near future, according to Brian Huseman, Amazon’s Vice President of Public Policy. Kuiper’s Greater Seattle facilities are blending aerospace rigor with consumer-tech speed. These technical feats are made possible by the fresh workforce Amazon is powering: a talent pool of agile, cross-trained people who are comfortable operating at the intersection of hardware and digital manufacturing systems. And no, these talented people aren’t all plucked from cookie cutter engineering degree programs. They’re CDL drivers, warehousing specialists, and customer service representatives. They bring nontraditional backgrounds and real-world experience to the table. This is the secret sauce powering Amazon Leo’s groundbreaking innovation.
The skill-building magic happens at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, the only public institute of technology in the state. Amazon’s partnership with LWTech launched in 2024 to address the need for skilled technicians to staff a new Kirkland facility. “When Amazon Leo approached us, the single biggest thing they said is: we’re getting a lot of people who can run computerized software, but we are not finding people who can turn a wrench or do precision assembling. So, all our activities and tools are designed to support what is currently happening in the industry,” said Priyanka Pant, Dean of Instruction.
Priyanka is one person in a star-studded team of industry wizards who made the satellite technician training certification program and Amazon Leo workforce development come to life. Usama Al Mandalawi, an Engineering Manager with 15 years of aerospace experience, helped Priyanka co-design the curriculum alongside the Amazon Leo team, Blue Origin, and other industry strongholds. Together, they ensured their certificate program met precision manufacturing needs and positioned students for lucrative jobs right out the graduation gates. Both Priyanka and Usama have worked hard to ensure the classroom and lab are close replicas to actual Kuiper work environments utilizing aerospace grade projects, materials, and tools. Thanks to a donation from Amazon, students use the same tools they can expect to use on the job. And this isn’t the only highlight of the program. “We are preparing students not only to learn technical skills but also how to be an excellent employee, how to show up on time, how to be an over-communicator and how to write down the assembly instruction from A to Z without skipping any steps,” Usama said. He also brings in real life case studies for students to problem solve. “Every new student cohort gets real examples of cases that they examine and learn how to deal with. We also have technicians and managers coming in from Kuiper to talk about their day jobs, opportunities, and future outlooks. This shows our students the near and long term future within the satellite industry.”
The focus on technical and soft skills is just one aspect of the unique certification program LWTech is delivering. “One of the biggest things we worked on was to remove any barriers. The prerequisites were kept to a minimum. That way, anyone who has an interest in technology, likes working with their hands, or has an eye for precision can join this program and learn from us. This method of improving access was how we made it accessible for all students, whether they were nontraditional, underrepresented, or used English as a second language, all people with diverse lifestyles can come to us,” Priyanka said. LWTech’s commitment to removing barriers runs deep: they’ve provided numerous scholarships, selected class times that align with students’ schedules, and even developed a textbook rental library to ease students’ financial burden.
LWTech already has its sights set on the future: they’re reinforcing their status as a workforce ready campus by creating a pipeline that will introduce students to the world of opportunity available to them within Amazon satellite manufacturing. That combined with their plans to develop additional training means they’re truly championing Washington state’s ever-growing aerospace industry. Usama knows full well the power of the sharp minds in LWTech’s classrooms. “They’re going to be the mentors for new generations in Washington state, and that’s how we’ll continue to grow as the aerospace hub.” Amazon’s Career Choice program mirrors LWTech’s commitment to inclusivity as it’s specifically designed to welcome people from all walks of life into high-tech careers. It’s shaping precision manufacturing roles by developing top aerospace talent from within its own front-line workforce. Hourly fulfillment center employees are trained to become satellite technicians through a six-month certification program covering fiber optics, avionics wiring, electronics manufacturing, aerospace assembly, and more. This upskilling initiative preserves the U.S. as a leader in space-based technologies and gives Amazon that lucrative speed to launch that’s defined the industry. Nadine Finegold graduated from Career Choice and became Kuiper’s first hire from the program. The mental fortitude, teamwork, and laser-focus she learned during her time in warehousing served as the foundation she now uses to build panels that launch into space. “At first, I was intimidated by people in the program with engineering backgrounds because I didn’t have any of that. I just studied really hard and learned along the way. It takes help from others and consistent outreach to make sure you don’t let homework or anything else slide,” Nadine said. “If you can make it in the warehouse, you can make it here. Hard work and perseverance, you’ve got to have a real strong mindset.” “The number one focus is precision. These panels are going up in space, and you have to be precise. Everything requires a double and triple check. And you’ve got to work as a team, and the warehouse prepared me for that.” Nadine said. Her story is a testament to how coming from a nontraditional background is a unique advantage. The knowledge, skills, and grit she earned on her nonlinear path all proved to be vital ingredients for the future-shaping work Amazon Leo is doing. For a company redefining what’s possible beyond the stars, it makes sense that top performers are multihyphenate achievers who bring a wealth of diverse experience to the table.
The Greater Seattle aerospace hub celebrates its uncommon thinkers by carving out pathways that welcome everyone to the table. Amazon Leo’s talent strategy of embracing diverse skills and experiences is paying dividends; not just for putting Washington on the map as a leading satellite manufacturing hub, but also for giving the people powering it liveable wages and lucrative careers. Amazon Leo’s partnership with LWTech points to broader workforce trends: people are re-skilling and upskilling for emerging industries, and employers are valuing curiosity over conventional credentials. This is the future of collaboration between industry and education: and Washington’s aerospace industry is building the modern blueprint.”