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After successfully finishing internship at the Department for Transport (DfT), I knew I wanted to work within the Civil Service. I made it my quest to work there and be one of the 16% of autistic people in full-time employment. After the internship I returned to Sixth Form, where it did not go unnoticed how much I had grown in confidence and determination.

The following year I was invited back to the programme to give a speech to the 2019 interns, at the opening ceremony of the internship. It was great to be back and I got lots of positive feedback from the Autism Exchange, people at the Civil Service and the interns. That gave me so much ambition, confidence and determination to make sure that I found a role for myself within the Civil Service.

A few weeks after my speech a role came up for an apprenticeship within Cabinet Office working in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC). As soon as I saw this position it instantly appealed to me. Also, the role had many similarities to the job I did whilst on my internship. So, for those reasons I decided to apply.

There was an online application followed by tests to complete. As they were mainly competency based, the experience I gained on the internship was invaluable for completing these. I got through to the interview stage for the role. When I attended the interview, I felt that this was my chance to accomplish my dream of both becoming one of the 16% of autistic people in full-time employment and to get into the Civil Service. Even though I was very nervous attending the interview I knew that it was my opportunity to shine and show who I am. I made sure that I locked the nerves away and I tried my hardest to get the role, using the knowledge and experience I had gained.

A few days after the interview I received an email about the outcome. I was very nervous when I saw the email in my inbox. I opened it, only to see the word saying ‘Congratulations’. I jumped for joy as I knew I was one step closer to my dream.

I started last September (2020) and ever since then I have really enjoyed my time at the OPC. I have got involved with so many interesting and unique things that I am forever grateful for. Also, within the OPC everyone has been very supportive and welcoming to me and I really enjoy working here.

Recently I have also become part of the Cabinet Office Apprentice Network (COAN) and taken on the role of Intranet Team Lead. This is a great opportunity to network with other apprentices and work together on a project. Everyone is friendly and supportive and we enjoy collaborating with each other.

I am forever grateful of the opportunities that the Civil Service, OPC, DfT, Ambitious about Autism and COAN have given me. I highly encourage departments to sign up to the Autism Exchange Programme and make other autistic peoples dreams come true.

The Future plans for myself as an apprentice is to complete my Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship to a high standard and after that I am hoping to build a career in the Civil Service as I have really enjoyed my experiences here and loads of people have welcomed me and made me feel part of a team straight away.

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I am today publishing the consultation on the government’s environmental objectives, which the spaceflight regulator will take into account when exercising its spaceflight functions under the Space Industry Act 2018. We’re also consulting on the associated guidance to the regulator on how the government expects it to interpret these environmental objectives.

Responses to the consultation are sought by Wednesday 24 March 2021.

This government is committed to growing the space sector in the UK and cementing our leading role in this sector by unlocking a new era in commercial spaceflight across the UK. Government and industry have set a target to grow the UK’s share of the global market to 10% by 2030. The UK space sector directly employs 41,900 people and contributes £5.7 billion to UK gross domestic product (GDP).

The space sector will need another 30,000 people if it’s to achieve its ambition to secure 10% of the world market by 2030. To support this, our spaceflight programme will enable commercial spaceports to be established in the UK that will facilitate a variety of spaceflight activities, including vertical and horizontal satellite launch and sub-orbital spaceflight.

Growing the UK’s launch capability will help bring new jobs and economic benefits to communities and organisations right across the UK, as well as inspiring the next generation of space scientists and engineers. Harnessing the opportunities provided by commercial spaceflight will feed into our emerging national space strategy, the government’s agenda to level-up the UK, and global Britain.

Access to space and the use of space-based technology also brings many benefits to the environment, allowing us to, for example, observe weather patterns, monitor climate change, manage natural resources, and monitor for harmful activities such as illegal deforestation, fishing and animal poaching.

The UK space sector has an established world-class satellite manufacturing capability and technical expertise, which already makes a significant contribution to global efforts to monitor and understand the Earth’s environment. For example, the 2018 British-built satellite Aeolus is used to revolutionise the accuracy of weather forecasting, providing benefits to all citizens on Earth.

The introduction of commercial spaceflight to the UK will have environmental implications at the global, national, regional and local level. The objectives and guidance recognise that to deliver the government’s economic, social and environmental objectives, we need to balance mitigating the potentially negative environmental impacts of spaceflight activities with enhancing the strong contributions commercial spaceflight can make to both the economy and our local and global efforts to monitor the environment.

The Space Industry Act 2018 requires applicants for a spaceport or launch operator licence to submit an assessment of environmental effects (the assessment) as part of their licence application. The objectives and guidance that government propose setting explain how the spaceflight regulator will take into account the assessment when deciding licence applications and setting licence conditions.

We’ve worked with environmental agencies, public bodies and government departments to ensure coherence with our national and international policies and obligations. Our intention is to have these objectives in place by the time the secondary legislation and guidance (on which we consulted on 29 July 2020) comes into force this summer and the regulator begins receiving and assessing applications.