The Canadian Space Agency wants Indigenous interns. Could it be you?

A kid born in Tsiigehtchic could one day set foot on the Moon or Mars.

If that feels like a giant leap, the Canadian Space Agency is offering one small step to help people on their way: four-month internships at the agency that are targeted toward Indigenous students.

“We are looking for Indigenous candidates to fill several internship positions in all branches of the Canadian Space Agency this summer,” read a Facebook post from the agency that received more than 4,000 shares within a day of being published this week.

You have until the end of January 22 to apply – but who actually gets to apply? What kind of education or experience do you need to have, and what will you end up doing?

We asked the agency to tell us more about what people can expect.

The CSA says it currently has 17 employees who self-identify as Indigenous.

“Given that we are a fairly small organization, this is about two percent of our workforce,” the agency told Cabin Radio by email this week.

“We know we can improve, though, and are hoping that this recruitment campaign, as well as other hiring initiatives, will help us increase that number to at least four percent.” (Overall, Indigenous people make up about five percent of Canada’s population.)

Here’s our Q&A with Ruth Ann Chicoine, the Canadian Space Agency’s director of technology and science development.

In the agency’s words, she is responsible “for ensuring that Canada has the technology and the talent to continue to be a leader in space.” She responded to our questions by email through a CSA spokesperson.

Cabin Radio: What does being an intern at the CSA actually mean in practice? What do you do each day? What do you get to experience? How long for? Where?

Ruth Ann Chicoine: An internship at the Canadian Space Agency is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in space projects, science, technology or missions. Some of our interns work on their own research projects, which they will complete from start to finish during the course of their internship. Others work as part of a team or on a larger project. It really depends on the subject area and the student’s area of interest. It’s a great opportunity to gain work experience for your future career.

Note: On its website, the CSA states locations for internships are Longueuil, Ottawa or Gatineau, though it also lists remote internships as possibility. The CSA’s website states that internships are available in positions ranging from communications, admin and human resources through to engineering, science, project management and computing.

Why the drive to encourage Indigenous applicants? 

If Canada is to continue to be a leader in space, we need all of the ingenuity and creativity our country has to offer! We are working to increase the number of Indigenous employees at the Canadian Space Agency so that our organization reflects the population we serve, and so that Indigenous priorities and needs are addressed in our activities, whether it be exploring the solar system or using space as a vantage point to study the Earth and its environment. We hope to pique the curiosity of Indigenous students and encourage them to consider careers in space – whether at the Canadian Space Agency or in Canada’s space sector.

What do you have to have to be considered for an internship?

You have to be registered as a full-time student in an accredited post-secondary academic institution, which could be a university, college, or institute. You also must meet the minimum age requirement for the province or territory of work.

Note: There’s more information about how you get a federal internship on the Canadian government’s website.

What’s your advice to Indigenous high school students to make sure they have a shot at a future internship?

Space touches our daily lives in so many incredible ways that we do not even realize – from the technologies we use to communicate with each other, or to check the weather, or GPS to navigate from one place to another.

If you live in the NWT, you are in a privileged position to observe the northern lights, which is one of the most fascinating space phenomena you can see from Planet Earth – you are actually watching the interactions between our planet and our star, the Sun.

More: Internships at the Canadian Space Agency

So, be curious about the world around you, and your place it. Continue your studies: most jobs in the space sector require some form of higher education degree, whether it be university or a technical college. And be bold in your thinking.

There are many different types of careers at the Canadian Space Agency and in Canada’s space sector: we often think of astronauts first, but there are also geologists, nurses, nutritionists, accountants, lawyers and many, many other fields. You’ll find lots more information on our website about careers in space.