County Durham Students Discover the Possibilities of Jobs in the Space Industry
Young people from across County Durham were able to gain a unique insight from industry leaders on the options for working in the space industry, thanks to an event co-organised by Lockheed Martin UK.
Ahead of this year’s North East Space Conference – which brought together companies and academics from across the UK – Lockheed Martin UKjoined forces with Space North England to offer more than 100 students the opportunity to join a special session.
The students, from New College Durham, Bishop Auckland College and Durham Sixth Form College, heard from Lockheed Martin UK along with representatives from companies such as Filtronic, Telespazio and Nascent Semiconductors, who talked about the career opportunities the fast-growing industry has to offer.
The teenagers also heard from speakers about their own personal journeys into space, including Lockheed Martin UK’s Head of Operations and Capture Ben Shaw and Ralph Dinsley, MD of 3S Northumbria.
Alison Maynard, Deputy Vice Principal of New College Durham, who had brought along a large cohort of students, said the opportunity to engage with companies at the cutting edge of the space industry was one the young people had not wanted to miss.
Lockheed Martin UK’s presence and support of the North East Space Conference consolidates its on-going commitment to the region, supporting ventures such as NESST – the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University – and its goal to create a satellite manufacturing facility.
That commitment was acknowledged by North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, who gave the opening speech at the conference.
She highlighted the need for continued investment in the region and the important role space plays in the North East economy which is why she was championing it.
“The defence, security and space sector already contributes around ?1.75 billion to our regional economy and employs more than 5,000 people in the wider region,” she said.
“In this new era, security and space have become so deeply intertwined that we can’t neglect space if we want to protect our communities.
“But we can and must do more, if we sit on our hands we face a perilous situation.
“That’s why I’ve recently signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin.
“They’re already a major partner in Northumbria University’s North East Space Skills and Technology Centre.?
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“But there are now plans for further investment, including exciting proposals for a major new facility at NETPark in County Durham and a commitment to upskilling people right across this region.
“美诱直播’ve already backed the site with ?11m of funding so with this latest investment we’re looking at 2,000 new jobs for people in Durham.
“And this is just the start; we’re at lift off but we’re not soaring yet.”
Following a meeting earlier this year in Washington DC, Mayor Kim and Lockheed Martin UK agreed to a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to align investment, skills development and supply chain growth—bringing a more coordinated public-private approach to regional economic development.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security? vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at .?
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Media Contacts:
Jackie Lucas +44 (0) 7385 005135 | jacqueline.a.lucas@global.lmco.com