Young Professionals IPMC Workshop
29 September 2012
On September 28, 2012, more than 40 young professionals from government, academia, and industry came together from around the world to engage in a workshop about their future careers. Organised by the IAF’s International Project/Programme Management Committee (IPMC) in coordination with the IAF’s Workforce Development/Young Professionals Programme Committee (WD/YPP), the workshop focused on opportunities and challenges young professionals face, mentors and mentorship programmes, exchanges and rotational assignments, motivating factors for young professionals, and the link between technical and managerial career paths.
Delegates participated in pre-workshop sessions through Skype and teleconferences, and collaborated through a Facebook group before attending the workshop, which was held in Naples, Italy just before the 2012 International Astronautical Congress (IAC). The shared stories, insights, and data about their work experiences and developed recommendations to help address these challenges.
The results and recommendations from these discussions will help the IPMC, the IAF’s 240 member organizations, and the workshop participants to consider what today’s space organisations can do to develop and empower the workforce of tomorrow. Then the next steps are for all parties to help improve and promote schemes for the continuing development of young professionals within the space sector and this progress can be assessed at future workshops.