GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

The scope of this action encompasses:

• The analysis of the main curricula and courses available and existing educational standards across the EU-27 at bachelor, master and post-graduate levels as well as continuing education (training and staff qualification / certification). The study should provide an overview of the ‘supply’ of space-oriented education and of the ‘demand’, a quantitative analysis of the ‘stocks & flows’ of students at the different levels eventually employed in the space sector at large (academia, government agencies, upstream industry, downstream industry) including socio-economic aspects (e.g. gender, educational background, family income, parents’ education, residence geography, etc.), and a comparative analysis of the cost/time to achieve a degree.
• The analysis of the skills required and reskilling needs of the R&I and the industrial community (across the entire supply chain, ranging from upstream space to downstream space) will be performed and structured, presumably along existing educational modules (e.g. electrical, mechanical, telecommunication, system engineering, physics, psychology, medicine). The analysis should engage both industry and educational institutions. It should not be limited to technical, scientific, engineering disciplines but also includes the essential soft skills needed, such as the ability to work in a diverse multidisciplinary team, to communicate efficiently, to create new activities and businesses, etc.
• The analysis of the match between needs and offer across the whole of EU-27 will be analysed and recommendations made to ensure a better match between the needs and the offer in the coming years. For this, a benchmarking of the career opportunities for space-oriented graduates coming from different universities across the EU-27 and Associated Countries (e.g. time to first employment, average salary after 3-5-7 years, etc.) will be performed.
• In particular, the co-operation between academia and industry in the field of PhD studies will be assessed and measures to promote the research experience of the academic personnel proposed.
• The use of continuous learning “in-company” and “out-of-company” supported by the new digital technologies with guaranteed quality e.g. Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) will be assessed and promoted.
• Promotion of the space sector jobs and careers (in particular where there is a strong demand for qualified workforce) and information about the different curricula and disciplines of interest for such careers in Bachelor and Master studies.