Classified Ready Employee Workforce Program

 

The mission of the CREW program is to develop a pool of classified-ready professionals with the necessary technical, professional, and interpersonal skills required to pursue successful careers in support of national security.  

Students selected for the program, participate in a series of national security and classification seminars, and are employed through cooperative education experiences in national security research and emerging technology innovation and application.

 

Program Highlights

We are proud to have 121 graduates from the CREW & DCTCx programs between 2020 and 2025

  • Most requested majors by employer sponsors: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity; Electrical Technician
  • Other majors participating: Math, Human Resources, Criminal Justice, Education
  • Clearance initiated at onset of program*. Interim clearance within 2-4 weeks and fully cleared by end of first semester. Today, nearly 100% of program graduates have DoD Secret clearance. 4 were initiated at Top Secret level by their employer sponsor.

*Security clearance initiation is contingent on the status of PSL’s contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Employers of Program Graduates

Employers of CREW Program Graduates: Northrop Grumman, Virgin Galactic, General Dynamics, LANAL, Sandia, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Peraton,Google, Ratheon, AIG, Navy, WHSMR, Honeywell, PSL, Hill Air Force base, Samson, and Best Buy

 

CREW Student Feedback

PSL is invested in the experience of our students and has included internal assessment throughout the program. Below is a sampling of the feedback we have received:

Click or swipe to see more feedback

 

 

How the CREW Co-Op Program Works

Work Schedule:

  • Fall & Spring Semesters: Students can work up to 20 hours per week in an internship/Co-Op or be aligned with a sponsored applied project through faculty research or department capstone or senior project. 

Hiring Options for Internship/Co-Ops:

  • Employers can hire students directly or through a negotiated contract with PSL.
  • PSL utilizes Handshake to recruit and hire qualified NMSU students with the skills and experience needed by sponsors.

Additional Program Components:

  • CREW National Security Affairs Seminar: During the Fall and Spring semesters, students participate in a national security affairs seminar. The course is delivered in a hybrid format in partnership with NMSU Global and includes in-person sessions with an instructor. 
  • Security Clearance: Clearance processing is coordinated through approved employer sponsors or authorized federal programs*.

*Security clearance initiation is contingent on the status of PSL’s contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Become a CREW Co-Op Sponsor

Strengthen your cleared workforce pipeline by partnering with New Mexico State University. As a CREW Co-Op sponsor, you’ll collaborate with our team to match qualified students with your co-op position at the NMSU campus, located in Anderson Hall at the Physical Science Laboratory, a cleared contractor facility.

For more information, please contact the CREW team: crew@psl.nmsu.edu

  • Paige Wheeler | Phone: (575) 646-9315
  • Marcella Shelby | Phone: (575) 646-9201

 

Supporting the National Security Workforce of the Future

The CREW Program was developed by PSL with the guidance of an Advisory Council composed of former PSL student employees and NMSU Alumni that are leaders in the national security, defense and research fields.  Our notable Advisory Council members see first-hand the looming workforce pipeline crisis ahead, and know that the CREW Program and graduating NMSU students represent a solution that can serve as a national workforce development model.

CREW Advisory Council
Christopher Long, General Dynamics
Manny Mora, General Dynamics (retired)
Steve Omick, Riverside Research
Linnea Sands, Sandia National Laboratories
Mike Steinzig, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Allyson Yarbrough, Aerospace Corporation

 

CREW Program Fund

 

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The CREW Program Fund was founded by the generous support of former PSL student employee and distinguished NMSU Alumni, Manny Mora, who previously held the position of Vice President and General Manager of Space and Intelligence Systems for General Dynamics Mission Systems before retiring

INVEST in the CREW Program and CREW Students by contacting Marcella Shelby, Strategic Initiatives Officer at PSL at mshelby@psl.nmsu.edu or 575-646-9201

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