Space News (3/12, Subscription Publication) reports that the space industry’s “struggle to draw young professionals is causing its workforce to lose members faster than they are gained, according to research from Deloitte Consulting.” Deloitte consultant Jeff Matthews cited attrition, workforce issues, and increased competition from the technology industry as factors. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Vice President of Strategy and Business Development Kay Sears argued that the industry is “competing for these engineers as they come out of school, and we have to make space exciting…we are not telling that story enough to attract the talent.” Sears added that the space industry still hasn’t “cracked the women engineering issue,” and is suffering from inclusivity issues which turn prospective female engineers away from the profession at the collegiate level.
