Good decision‐making needs good evidence

We’re building an evidence base to improve skills policy and inform decision‐making.

We’re experts in space skills, training, and recruitment and help employers, policy makers, and training providers to address skills shortages and improve their understanding of the sector.

Commission research

Our areas of research

The space skills gap

Where are the skills shortages in the space sector? We’re interested in understanding exactly what skills the industry is looking for and what they find is lacking in their new recruits, as well as how those needs will change as the sector grows. We’re also interested in how people gain those skills and what can be done to ensure there is adequate training provision for graduates, career‐changers, and current space professionals.

Best practice

What is the best practice in recruitment, training, and inclusion within the space sector, and what can we learn from other sectors? We’re interested in what works and what doesn’t work about the sector’s current programmes and practices, and how all stakeholders can be encouraged to embed and continuously improve those practices.

The future space workforce

What does the future space workforce look like, and how can we attract them to the sector? We’re interested in demographics like gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and regional location, and how we can ensure the space sector is representative of the wider population and inclusive to people of all backgrounds. We also follow the changing perceptions and expectations that people have of their careers, from being able to work flexibly to having a social impact.

Perceptions of the space sector

What do people think of the space sector, and is it a sector they want to join? Space has grown a great deal in the public consciousness recently, but still too few know that it’s a growing sector with a wide variety of jobs. We’re interested in how much of the space sector people know about, where they get their perceptions and misconceptions from, and what we can do to make a space career more attractive. We’re also interested in how people already in the sector view their work and why they choose to stay or leave.

Interested in contributing?

Only with cross‐sector collaboration can we properly tackle the skills shortage. Our research relies on the space organisations pooling their data to make the whole sector better.

Join us

Our reports

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Space Sector Skills Survey 2023 results

September 2023

The findings of the Space Sector Skills Survey 2023, a major national survey to understand space skills gaps and recruitment challenges.

In partnership with

UK Space Agency (UKSA) logoDepartment for Science, Innovation & Technology logoknow.space logo
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How and why people join the UK space sector

March 2023

Why do people join the UK space sector? What routes do they take? A report based on the findings of the 2020 Space Census.

In partnership with

Space Growth Partnership logoUK Space Agency (UKSA) logoUKspace logoUniversity of Leicester logoSatellite Applications Catapult logo
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Women in the UK Space Sector

October 2021

A report on the experiences of women in the UK space sector, based on from the findings of the 2020 Space Census.

In partnership with

Space Growth Partnership logoUK Space Agency (UKSA) logoUKspace logoUniversity of Leicester logoSatellite Applications Catapult logo
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Pay in the UK Space Sector

September 2021

The first pay data for the UK space sector, based on from the findings of the 2020 Space Census.

In partnership with

Space Growth Partnership logoUK Space Agency (UKSA) logoUKspace logoUniversity of Leicester logoSatellite Applications Catapult logo
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Demographics of the UK Space Sector

March 2021

The first comprehensive demographic statistics for the UK space sector, drawn from the findings of the 2020 Space Census.

In partnership with

Space Growth Partnership logoUK Space Agency (UKSA) logoUKspace logoUniversity of Leicester logo
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Assessing the quality of space job adverts

September 2020

An assessment of 50 job adverts from 50 space companies scored against 10 criteria based on recruitment best practice, and recommendations for improvements.

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Skills demand for early career space jobs

May 2020

The first quantitative assessment of skills demand in the UK space sector, analysing 812 early career job adverts to identify competencies in highest demand.

In partnership with

UKSEDS logoSpaceCareers.uk logo
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Towards a space competencies taxonomy

May 2020

The first competencies taxonomy to be developed specifically for the space sector, comprising about 250 competencies across five categories.

In partnership with

UKSEDS logoSpaceCareers.uk logo
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