ESA EDUCATION STRATEGY A TOOL FOR SPACE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
- Paper number
IAC-09.E1.7.7
- Author
Mr. Francesco Emma, ESA/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Paolo Donzelli, ESA/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Hugo Mareè, ESA/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Year
2009
- Abstract
The shortage of competencies in space workforce in Europe is part of a wider problem already identified in the Lisbon conference in the year 2000. The Lisbon strategy report produced as a result of that conference, called EU member states to make joint efforts to attract more students towards a career in Science, Engineering and Technology domain. The European Space Agency, pretty much in the same way as other space agencies or industry working in the space domain, is suffering the lack of an adequate qualified workforce. The wide problem posed by the disinterest of young generation in a STEM career is putting at risk, on one hand the transfer of knowledge in critical areas, on the other end is threatening the flawless development of the future ESA missions. The ESA Education Office, together with the Agency Human Resources Department has devised a strategy supporting the efforts in the education and recruitment of qualified scientist and engineers for the future ESA needs. Confronted with a complex cultural framework given by the different European educational systems and by an uneven development of competencies in the different European countries, the ESA education office is also developing tailored programs addressing the different countries needs. The present paper, after providing an overview of the problems faced by ESA in the development of a qualified space workforce, is reporting on best practices developed over the years by the ESA Education Office with an assessment of the future educational strategy to be pursued at European level.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-09.E1.7.7.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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