Aerospace Student Coaching to Develop & Realise Potential: Taking a Different Approach
- Paper number
IAC-05-E1.2.06
- Author
Mr. Filippo De Rose, VEGA Group, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. George Inoue, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Dr. Jason Maroothynaden, United Kingdom
- Year
2005
- Abstract
All too often, mentoring or coaching programmes in institutions of higher education are associated, to either academic mentoring by the professors, or general career mentoring by the university's career services department. More often than not, it is the career mentoring aspects that students pay the most attention to, since that is where their ultimate priorities often lie, after graduation. This is particularly true in the field of aerospace education given the difficulties faced by the industry in terms of jobs for graduates. The industry is very specialised and seeks employees who can either demonstrate extensive previous aerospace work experience, or a very good understanding of highly technical skills. With increasing competition for jobs in the aerospace industry, the challenge for aerospace graduates is high. The need for them to differentiate themselves is great, and students are often constantly on the lookout for hints, tips or that special contact, to gain a competitive advantage to secure that dream space job. The net result is that aerospace students participating in coaching programmes start off with a great will to learn more about what they are getting into but ultimately realise that they just want to get a job. As a result, rather than taking full advantage of what is offered, students end up using their mentors, or coaches as de-facto careers advisors; something the mentors were not trained to do. This is a real shame, as not only do students miss out on the valuable academic mentoring, they end up listening to career advice that is subjective, and often, completely wrong. After all, academic advisors are good for academia, but they can hardly be called experts in getting commercial jobs. The aim of this paper, is to present a possible structured approach, to organise and co-ordinate a coaching programme for aerospace students. For several years now, this methodology has been applied in a very unique environment, which is that of the International Space University (ISU). The ISU teaches interdisciplinary courses to an audience, which varies widely in age, culture and academic background. Going by the name of the Master of Space Studies (MSS) Coaching Programme, it was founded in 1999 by the European Alumni Association of ISU and since 2002 has been co-ordinated by Actimi Ltd, a specialised consultancy firm of the space industry. The idea is to present the methodology, by giving practical examples of the experiences of the authors, who have all been co-ordinators of the programme in recent years. The paper presents an innovative way of leading such an activity that is independent from the relevant academic institution, while making it part of the experience of the individuals attending it. It discusses the key hurdles faced in implementing such a system, with practical solutions. The end result being the successful management of an innovative system, where students directly benefit from the experiences of past alumni, and allows the alumni in turn to contribute to the continued growth and success of the university. Especially in institutions like ISU, where individuals have had to invest significant levels of financial and academic efforts to meet stringent admissions criteria, the expectation of obtaining a high-paying job, upon graduation, is great. However, the MSS Coaching Programme is not designed to help students into employment. Its main objectives is to pair, according to certain criteria, a student with an alumnus who has volunteered to act as a coach, or an informal mentor for the student. The aim is engender a "buddy-to-buddy" communication system between student and alumni coach, to enable students the opportunity to see and understand what awaits them at the beginning, during and at the end of the 1 year course of study. The coaching programme also allows students the opportunity to interact with people who have common interests and ultimately get in touch with a wider group of people from across the globe, who share these interests. At its core, it is essentially a system that opens communication channels between people who are already settled in the field of aerospace and those looking to be part of it. Common questions heard through the programme include: "I have a passion for space, please tell me how can I contribute to the field?" or "I have an idea and I would like to share it with more experienced individuals, in order to develop it and build it together, could you tell me if you know any?". It is possible that with some fine-tuning, the concept behind the MSS Coaching Programme could be applied to other institutions or across aerospace student associations.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-E1.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.