The National Space Academy has received renewed funding from the UK Space Agency to deliver more than 330 free masterclasses to over 10,500 secondary students between now and March next year.

In addition, there will be careers events, Home Education days and teacher training opportunities all over England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, showcasing the UK space industry and highlighting the opportunities for young people and building the space workforce of the future. From September 2023 to March 2025, the National Space Academy used funding from the UK Space Agency to deliver an incredible programme of masterclasses and other activities to students across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Due to the huge success of this programme in increasing the interest of secondary students in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), the funding has been extended through to the end of March 2026. This will allow another 10,000 students to join the nearly 30,000 who have already benefitted from local experts leading high-quality, curriculum-based activities free of charge to schools across the UK.

The programme removes barriers to opportunity and uses the exciting context of space to inspire and broaden the horizons of the next generation. The UK space industry employ over 55,000 people directly, growing at an average rate of 3.3% per year over the last 15 years. It is vital that people with the right skills are available to join the industry and drive this growth.

In addition to the masterclasses, which focus upon the science learning related to their courses, students will also have the opportunity to join 9 careers events across the country, where they will meet representatives of the whole space industry. Teachers will also be able to access training to bring the inspiration of space experiments into their classrooms.

National Space Academy General Manager, David Wilkinson, said: “Space is in every part of our lives, from GPS, banking transactions and climate science, through to British astronauts going to the International Space Station and beyond.

“The UK has been at the forefront of this industry for decades but to stay there we need a highly skilled workforce. Hopefully through the inspirational experiences that young people can have with us, they will see the incredible opportunities that space and the wider world of science and engineering can give them.”

UK Space Agency Head of Education and Future Workforce, Ingmar Kamalagharan said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to continue supporting the National Space Academy’s exceptional work in inspiring the next generation through the Space to Learn programme.

“This investment represents our commitment to ensuring that every young person, regardless of their background or location, has the opportunity to discover the incredible career possibilities within the UK’s thriving space sector. The programme’s focus on reaching underserved communities and removing barriers to participation aligns perfectly with our mission to build a diverse and skilled workforce that will keep the UK at the forefront of space innovation.

“When young people see how space touches every aspect of our daily lives - from the technology in their phones to tackling climate change - it opens their eyes to the STEM careers that will shape our future.” The focus of the project remains widening access to this kind of experiences and resources.

Schools that are in areas of deprivation, with high numbers of free school meals, or where they have failed an OFSTED inspection or do not have a physics-trained teacher will be prioritised. Bursaries will be available to make sure that schools that are struggling financially will be able to attend the careers events.

And the programme also seeks to include those not in school education, with Home Education days planned in all nations and regions.