With space becoming more and more important in our daily lives, we need to educate young people about space-related activities and careers and provide them with the skills needed to enter the sector. There are year-round events for students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities and, if they know where to look, young people can find opportunities targeted to each stage of their development, leading to an exciting and rewarding career in the space sector.
At the birth of the Space Age, the USSR and the United States were the only nations involved, with funding largely provided by the government and with a small number of jobs mainly for specialist engineers, scientists and pilots. Over time, other nations began to form their own space agencies. There are now over 70 around the world at varying stages of development, and the range of jobs in the space sector require education both within and beyond STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
The global space sector has seen, on average, a 6.7 per cent annual growth since 2005. With this trend set to continue, it is important that young people are informed and educated about the vast range of space sector activities and their importance to our daily lives, as well as our aspirations to explore the universe.
