How Work Experience Week with Lockheed Martin Sparked Ambitions Among South East Students
Young people from schools across the South East got an enviable glimpse into the opportunities available with Lockheed Martin’s space business in the UK as part of July’s Work Experience Week.
Eight students – all aged 16 and 17 spent the week at Harwell, hearing from those at the cutting edge of the industry as well as getting involved in a range of hands-on activities.
This space-focussed engineering programme was a real taster of the full space systems lifecycle, with the participants discovering the integral part every department plays.
They learned about every stage of a satellite, from concept through to creation covering everything from design and components testing through to quality assurance.
Along with hearing about the work done by engineers, project managers and enjoying software demos, they visited the site’s clean rooms and the Mission Operations Centre to see where satellites are tested and launched.
They were also supported with a range of general activities such as interview techniques and CV writing.
The final challenge saw the students design a satellite to learn the importance of project management, using all the skills and information about varying job roles they had learned throughout the week.
They had to each decide on a role within the team, complete their project design and plan and buy their components based on the needs of their chosen project.
They had to stick to their budget and deal with ad hoc client demands, eventually building an actual model and delivering a presentation to the Lockheed Martin team.
The combination of problem solving, practical activities and hearing from those at the cutting edge of the industry gave the teenagers a real insight into the possibilities of a career in space, along with stressing the importance of STEM subjects.
It also showcased the collaborative approach that success in space requires.
One of the students said that the week “emphasises that engineering is not just technical.”
“It is systematic, collaborative and multi-disciplinary with each layer supporting mission success.”
Among the Lockheed Martin guest speakers was Nik Smith, Director of Lockheed Martin’s UK and Europe Space business who explained to the students the importance of the UK space landscape.
The response from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, with most of them saying it had given them a real understanding of the industry and had fired up their enthusiasm.
Some said it had been a “wonderful opportunity” with one adding that the experience had “sparked my interest for a career in the space sector and I am hoping for an opportunity to work at Lockheed Martin in the future.”