Spaceport education strategy an ‘exciting milestone’
SAXAVORD Spaceport has published an education strategy which aims to encourage learning in areas like science, technology and engineering.
This is with the view of “creating a skilled and enthusiastic workforce across the UK”.
The strategy has been developed in partnership with Shetland Islands Council’s Shetland space education employment and skills pipeline working group.
This group also involves the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
SaxaVord Spaceport said its mission is to build on Shetland’s heritage of exploring, innovating and collaborating to “make the UK the premier European base for new space”.
The spaceport said it hopes to maximise the educational and societal benefits for the UK, while looking after the environment and promoting a skilled and diverse workforce.
The strategy confirms partnerships with international academic bodies, such as the University of Strathclyde and the University of Alaska, to promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) subjects.
The spaceport will work with governments and agencies, including Shetland Islands Council, the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the UK Space Agency, as well as industry partners like HyImpulse.
Locally Mesomorphic, Ocean Kinetics and Pure Energy are also listed as partners.
Current initiatives planned at SaxaVord include Mike Mongo’s astronaut job clubs for children as well as internships for young people at the spaceport.
The strategy lists how education could be delivered to different age groups, from art projects in nursery to S1, to debates and model rocket making in S4-S6.
SaxaVord education and innovation officer Mason Robbins said: “Our education strategy will ensure that everyone from one to 101 is inspired by space and increase engagement with STEAM subjects.
“Space has the power to motivate and invigorate and the whole of the UK should be able to benefit from the industry.”
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CEO Frank Strang said the publication marked an “exciting milestone”.
“I am particularly looking forward to increasing the number of internships for students from the UK and overseas here,” he said.
“As we forge ahead with developing Shetland as the place for space, we’re aware that we too must work with a range of like-minded organisations across the nation for the UK to be the European hub for space.”
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