Apply now to be an ESA YGT
The 2024 Young Graduate Trainee positions are now open for applications! Opportunities are available in engineering, science, IT and business services. Find out more and apply now.
The ESA YGT Programme offers recently graduated Master’s students a unique opportunity to work on inspiring space missions at the heart of European space activities. Join our team of scientists, engineers and business professionals from all over Europe working together in an international and friendly environment.
Our mission is the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone. Apply today to be a part of this mission.
Become a YGT! Browse our YGT opportunities here.
How to apply?
- Explore our Young Graduate Trainee opportunities here.
- Select the opportunity that interests you the most and fits best with your academic background and aspirations. As of 2024, each candidate can submit up to three applications.
- 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
Who can apply?
To be eligible for the YGT Programme, you must be:
- a student in the final year of a Master’s degree or have just graduated in engineering, science, IT or business services.
- a citizen of one of the following ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, 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, Slovakia and Slovenia, as Associate Members, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus as European Cooperating States.
What we offer
- 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 reimbursed at the beginning and end of the contract.
- 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 alternative solutions.
Want to learn more?
Find detailed information on the YGT Programme and answers to your most common questions on the dedicated FAQ page. Check out this page to discover other programmes available at ESA!
Rewatch the information sessions
We held online information sessions for people interested in the YGT Programme to learn more and submit their questions. You can find the recordings of these sessions below.
| Watch the recording | Hosted on CareerFairy This information session investigated the various entry-level programmes available at ESA with a focus on the YGT Programme. The online event included a Q&A session. Event recorded 2 February 2024 |
| Watch the recording | Hosted on CareerFairy This information session investigated the various entry-level programmes available at ESA with a focus on the YGT Programme. The online event included a Q&A session. Event recorded 25 January 2023 |
| Watch the recording | Hosted on Twitch Current ESA YGTs joined former YGT and host, Corentin Buti, on his Twitch channel La Capsule to deep dive into what it’s like to work as a YGT and for ESA. Participants were able to join a live chat and take part in the conversation. Event recorded 7 February 2023 |
| Watch the recording | Hosted on Webex Four YGTs shared the work they do on ESA projects, their own personal experience of the application process and the tips and tricks they learned when applying to ESA. They were joined by ESA’s entry-level coordinator Andrew Kane. Event recorded 16 February 2023 |
Life at ESA
Learn more about life at ESA, work-life balance, or visit our ESA establishment pages to learn more about our working life.
Stay connected with us!
Join us on our Careers website and subscribe to our careers news.
Follow us on LinkedIn.
