Guest:  Tom Cooke, CEO of Spacely.work; Topics:  Spacely's program for matching independent workers to needed skills in the aerospace industry.  See their website for more information, www.spacely.work.

Please direct all comments and questions regarding specific Space Show programs & guest(s) to the Space Show blog which is part of archived program on our website, www.thespaceshow.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.    

We welcomed Tom Cooke, CEO of Spacely to the program to discuss the state of the independent workers, the needs of the aerospace industry for specific skill sets and the increasing role being played in this match up by Tom's company, Spacely.  Tom's introduction to his company and today's discussion focused on "reimagining work," especially with regards to the independent worker and aerospace skillset.  He talked with us about changing trends in the workforce, aerospace being a trendsetter, and how Spacely was capitalizing on the trends and the needs of the independent worker.  To better understand the program through this very short summary, use the key words/tags to guide you through most of the topics Tom both discussed and was asked about.  Once again I have copied the key words/tags here for your convenience:

Tags:  Tom Cooke, Spacely.work, aerospace industry work, gig-economy culture, digital aerospace worker matchmaking, digital market place, independent workers and the aerospace industry, NASA's Open Innovation efforts,  the talent marketplace model, skillset matching, talent supply, determining who is the employer, 1099 culture, talent mixture and breakdown, Virgin Orbit example, challenging to find employees, market equilibrium, open talent platform, program managers, screening talent, new technologies, 401k and IRA issues, tax concerns, consultants, independent works are growing market share, the independent worker culture, optimizing skill and technology, U.S. Department of Labor, vetting workers.

The tags also represent many of the questions Tom got as listeners were interested in tax consequences, healthcare usually provided by the company, retirement, job or work continuity with the same company or in the same field.  To better understand all of this, Tom spent a good portion of the program talking about why people become independent workers, what they want and what they give up or sacrifice to get what they want.  Tom then talked about how his company matched the independent workers to positions within the aerospace industry.  Don't miss the process he described.  In addition, pay attention to how Tom address screening independent workers and vetting them for specific jobs. 

Tom was asked questions about the employment structure in the company where the independent worker worked.  For example, what was the role of a program manager if most if not all of the project team was comprised of independent workers through Spacely?  Another area Tom was asked about was independent worker education and degrees as compared to their possible skillsets.  Not always do these areas support one another.

While this discussion was just under 90 minutes, it covered new ground for The Space Show as our discussion was very different from earlier shows regarding aerospace employment.  Note that while we focused on aerospace, Tom's business focus was and is much broader so you will hear and detect many other applications for the service skills provided by Spacely.

Please post comments/questions on this discussion on our blog for this show. We want to know what you think about independent workers and the services provided by Tom and Spacely.  You can reach Tom Cooke through me or his website or LinkedIn.  The Spacely website is www.spacely.work.