Professional training requirements in the UK space industry

Each year there are about 80 graduates directly entering the space industry as their first choice of career. At least 20% of these can be expected to want to take post-graduate degrees in a science or engineering discipline a few years later. In addition there is inwards migration of qualified but more mature engineers who will swell the ranks of the post-graduate degree students. Engineers from both sources require a continuous programme of specialist training to keep abreast of relevant technologies, funded by industry to a total value of £1 million. The author discusses the four elements of the training programme at Marconi Space: undergraduate professional training, internal training, specialist courses, and product support training