Aside from the space sector lacking graduates with the relevant skills, there is also a significant diversity issue in the sector. The results of the 2020 space census [6] show that the sector is heavily male dominated, those from more advantaged socio-economic backgrounds are over-represented and ethnic minorities are under-represented.

Gender
Women are significantly under-represented (29%), particularly in industry (22%) and the military (17%). This problem is not isolated to the space sector, but also students taking the STEM degree subjects that feed into the sector. For example, graduates of STEM degree subjects are 74% male to 26% female, with only a slight increase over the last few years. Engineering and computer science degrees are even lower, with around 15% female. Science subjects have a better gender balance than engineering.

Ethnicity
Ethnic minorities are under-represented (11% vs 14% in the population at large), particularly in industry and government, and compared to STEM graduates.

Secondary education and disadvantaged backgrounds
Of those who were UK-educated, people who attended private schools are over-represented by a factor of 2.2. Selective school attendees are over-represented by a factor of 4.6, while those attending comprehensives are under-represented by a factor of 0.7.

The government has a longstanding ambition to increase the numbers of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education generally and the number has increased over the last five years. Those from a low participation neighbourhood (LPN) increased by 13 per cent, whose parents did not attend university increased by 23 per cent and those from a state-funded school or college increased by 9 per cent.

Research suggests [7] that positive business outcomes are directly tied to gender diversity which can provide creativity and varying views, backgrounds and experiences. A 2015 McKinsey report [8] on 366 public companies found that those in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean, and those in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15% more likely to have returns above the industry mean. Gender diversity is correlated with both profitability and value creation.“Diverse and inclusive cultures are providing companies with a competitive edge over their peers.” WSJ [9]

The RAEng Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Survey Report [9] found that one of the top three business imperatives driving diversity and inclusion work was “enhancing capacity for innovation and creativity” (cited by 83% of engineering organisations). Research shows that when leaders are perceived by their teams as being inclusive, 84% report feeling more motivated and 81% indicate it has a positive impact on their productivity.

The engineering literature contains large amounts of evidence on the benefit of extra-curricular activities. The relationship between extracurricular involvement and general cognitive skills and intellectual skills is well documented [11]. Extracurricular activities can play an important role in exposing undergraduate engineering students to broader challenges that enable them to utilize and complement their disciplinary knowledge [12]. There is a positive linear relationship between academic and co-curricular involvement [13]. Extra-curricular activities provide a range of transferable skills [14]. Increasing student engagement in extracurricular activities is considered a best practice to foster student learning [15]

A link and a continuous dialogue between industry and academia are essential for a shared vision and to shape the future of graduate education. Collaboration between industry and universities can result in a better quality of graduates matching more readily the expectations of their potential employers [16]. Collaboration with industry can also help to provide direction for the development of course material in order to enable students to be more exposed to industry needs. University activities with heavy industry involvement provide an open stream of dialogue between industry and academia which otherwise is very difficult to achieve. [16]

The Generation Europe Foundation reported with a clear message for education policy makers: industry-relevant hands-on experience could help address the skills gap that is preventing graduates being hired [17]. They also commented that “most universities give far too much theoretical preparation and too little about how to face the real world of work’ and that most students don’t know anything about how businesses in their sector run.