Space skills and careers resources
Here you can find lesson plans for teachers and other resources for the classroom, as well as activities for home learning for both children and adults.
Space career guidance and opportunities
Skills for Space: UK Space Agency Internships Programme
The UK Space Agency has launched Skills for Space, a new internship programme offering 50 paid placements across the UK space sector to give young people hands-on experience and industry exposure.
Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a fully accredited degree or diploma programme. This includes students in the 2nd, 3rd, or those attending a further Education (FE) or other tertiary institution in your 2nd year.
Visit UKSpace101
Space Careers UK offers a dedicated area for those new to the space sector. It gives an overview of the space sector and space careers, as well as guidance on finding roles.
Visit the European Space Agency (ESA) website
The European Space Agency is our biggest partner in space. Visit their website to discover guidance for space careers.
Visit the National Space Academy website
The National Space Academy offers careers advice and information, and also runs careers conferences. Find out more about the careers support on offer
View space career profiles
You can access videos on a wide range of space careers on the website of the European Space Education Resources Office (ESERO-UK). Further video and print career profiles are available to explore.
Find out how to become an astronaut
The main route for UK citizens to become an astronaut is through the competitive European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut selection programme.
Look for work experience
Space Careers UK
Space Careers UK’s work experience page gives advice on how to approach a work experience placement and lists opportunities that you can apply for.
Airbus Aerospace
Explore Springpod’s online Airbus Aerospace programme, which gives students aged 13+ the opportunity to hear from Airbus representatives about their company, its aims and values and what it’s like to work in aerospace.
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin UK offers an annual week of work experience, usually in July, for students aged 15 to 17. Applications open from January to March each year.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
STFC offer work experience placements to students aged 14 to 18 (Years 10 to 13) each year.
STEM Learning Research Placements and Experiences
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, STEM.org offers research placements and experiences for students in Year 12 (or equivalent).
University of Leicester
The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester offers work experience to local students in aged 14 to 17 (Years 10,11 and 12).
Check the UK Space Sector Landscape Map for companies in your area
The UK Space Sector Landscape Map helps you identify and locate every space related company and organisation in the UK. You can use it to contact local companies who may be offering work experience. The map can also be used to identify apprenticeships and work opportunities.
Find a job, apprenticeship or internship
Visit Space Careers UK’s jobs board
Space Careers UK lists job, volunteer and internship opportunities at many companies across the space sector.
Look for live opportunities at the European Space Agency
ESA advertise jobs on their website.
Learn about apprenticeships
You can find general information about becoming an apprentice and help to find an apprenticeship at the government’s dedicated apprenticeship site.
Watch videos on space careers
The UK Space Agency’s space careers guidance video
The UK Space Agency’s space career guidance video contains interviews with people working in the sector, for general advice if you’re considering a career in space.
Watch the UK Space Agency’s space career guidance video.
Principia’s careers video
This short film by Principia’s AstroAcademy showcases the work that UK scientists and engineers are doing in the space sector, both in support of astronauts and in applications for life on Earth.
Updates to this page
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Updates to content throughout the page.
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Updated with 2024 information.
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Added SPIN 23 funding call information.
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First published.