Ready to become a YGT?

Open to students in their final year of a Master’s degree in engineering, sciences or business disciplines and to those who have recently graduated from a Master’s in one of these fields, ESA’s YGT Programme lasts for one year (with possible extension to a second year) and offers a unique opportunity to work on inspiring space missions at the heart of European space activities!

The launch of the new opportunities is just around the corner, so here are six important pieces of information on the YGT Programme while we wait for applications to open.

1. Who can apply?

We are looking for future colleagues who are curious, passionate about space, have a strong sense of team spirit and are inspired by the prospect of contributing to ESA’s missions in a friendly, diverse and multicultural environment.

To be eligible for the YGT Programme, you must be:

• a student in the final year of a Master’s degree or having just graduated in engineering, science, IT or business services.
• a citizen of one of the following ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia, as Associate Members, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Slovakia as European Cooperating States.

2. What the YGT Programme offers

• A unique professional experience as part of a team of scientists, engineers and business professionals from all over Europe, working together on inspiring space missions in an international, multicultural and friendly environment.
• A great opportunity to gain extensive experience that could open doors to a long-term career within Europe’s space sector.
• A one-year contract (with possible extension to a second year) with 2.5 days' paid leave per month.
• Excellent employment conditions, including a monthly salary exempt from national income tax in ESA Member States.
• Travel expenses at the beginning and end of the contract reimbursed.
• Expatriation allowance and/or an installation allowance on arrival if you move from another country.
• Comprehensive health cover under ESA’s social security scheme. Please note that Young Graduate Trainees do not contribute to ESA's pension scheme and may wish to opt for alterative solutions.

The YGT experience

What is it like to be a YGT at ESA? Watch the 2019 video interviews about the YGT experience to find out more about our YGT Programme and working life at ESA!

3. How to apply to the YGT Programme

• Explore our Young Graduate Trainee opportunities here.
• Select the opportunity that interests you the most and fits best with your academic background and aspirations. Due to the high number of applications received each year, we can only accept a maximum of two applications per person.
• Register and create your candidate profile with your CV and motivation letter.
• Apply! You will be able to track the status of your application throughout the process by logging into your candidate profile.

4. How does the COVID-19 pandemic impact the recruitment process?

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is our utmost priority. ESA has taken a number of precautionary measures in order to protect its personnel while also minimising disruption to the Agency’s activities. In terms of recruitment, this means that interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams or Webex.

Learn more about our recruitment process during COVID-19.

5. When will I start if I am selected?

The pre-selection and interview of shortlisted candidates will take place between March and May, with the final selection made by ESA in June. The date of the take-up of duty is mutually agreed upon by ESA and the successful candidate and usually takes place in September or October.

6. How can I know when the opportunities are published?

Keep up to date with our latest news articles. The quickest way to be informed about the publication of ESA YGT opportunities is to subscribe to our careers news or create a job alert on our recruiting website.  

Want to learn more?

Find detailed information on the YGT Programme and answers to your most common questions on the dedicated FAQ page.

Share with your network!

Spread the word on social media by sharing our key visual, information card or flyer for the campaign together with a short text summarising the information plus a link to our careers website, recruitment website or this news article. If you would like to use hashtags, please use #ESArecruits and #ESAcareers.

Sample social media post: It’s almost time to apply for ESA’s Young Graduate Trainee Programme! Beginning February, around 100 YGT opportunities in science and engineering, information technology, and business will open, offering recent graduates on-the-job experience in the development and operation of space missions. #ESArecruits #ESAcareers