The Orbital Academy – A Success Story for Professional Development
- Paper number
IAC-07-E1.2.08
- Author
Mr. Carlos Niederstrasser, Orbital Sciences Corporation, United States
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Education programs, in the traditional sense, are normally focused on the primary and secondary levels. However, in today’s highly competitive environment, continuing education and professional development are not just luxuries but necessities for high tech companies such as those in the aerospace industry. In response to these needs, Orbital Sciences developed the Orbital Academy, an internal, interdisciplinary program designed to leverage the knowledge base and high motivation of its own engineers. By creating an internal program, the goals and content of the courses can be uniquely tailored to the company’s needs and employee’s interests.
Orbital Academy courses are taught by Orbital employees for the benefit of their peers and colleagues. The goals of the Academy serve the interests of both the corporation and its employees; they are summarized as follows:
- Harness the energy and enthusiasm that many engineers express when talking about their field.
- Increase the employee knowledge base in both technical and non-technical subject areas.
- Expose employees to areas outside of their field of expertise and provide those employees with an understanding of the problems faced by their colleagues.
- Identify subject-matter experts (SMEs) across the corporation.
- Create a common language and corporate culture, regardless of the employee’s background.
- Enhance employee morale and provide motivated employees a way to contribute to the company’s overall success.
In the eighteen months since its inception, the Orbital Academy has offered courses on six different subject matters ranging from Astrodynamics to Finance and Accounting. Over ten percent of employees have participated in at least one course. The true success of the program, however, is best measured in the qualitative feedback students have provided. From the administrative assistant who expressed how useful it was to understand the charts he was editing, to the long-time electronics engineer who had never been told the difference between a LEO and GEO satellite – feedback from students consistently highlights the value of the Academy.
The root of the Academy’s success lies in its well established framework. The course offerings are interdisciplinary in nature. Each course aims to provide a broad overview, not to make subject matter experts. Courses must be taught by employees. Courses are open to anyone within the company, regardless of seniority, position, or background. The result has been an extremely popular program whose success provides a benchmark on professional development effectiveness across the industry.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E1.2.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.