Gatwick Events To Inspire Local Kids To Take Up Airport Careers

Gatwick is aiming to inspire local schoolchildren around airport careers through a new series of Learn Live events.

The programme will begin again this month with themes including engineering, IT innovation, data analysis, construction and forecasting.

The events aim to show children how they can apply their STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to real life careers at the airport.

Schools can sign up to five events beginning on Tuesday 28 September at 10am, with a broadcast focusing on Gatwick’s engineering apprentices.

There will be further broadcasts on IT innovation (October), data analysis (November), construction, focusing on runway resurfacing (December) and forecasting (January).

They're also boasting of their continued efforts to promote women into the engineering industry, having recently recruited two male and two female engineering apprentices for its 2021 cohort.

One of the apprentices previously took part in a Gatwick schools programme designed to encourage more girls to take up careers in engineering

The five apprentices ‘graduating’ from Gatwick’s programme this year have all been offered permanent roles at the airport as technicians. 

The four new apprentices, aged 16 to 18, all come from local schools and colleges within the region, with Harry Dowling-Woods from Crawley College, Zoe Potts from Reigate College, Finlay Toner from Northbrook MET in Worthing and Abi Davies, a former student of Millais School in Horsham, where Gatwick has been running a Women into STEM programme since 2018 to encourage more girls to take up careers in engineering.

New apprentice, Abi Davies, said:

“Only 12% of UK engineers are female. I want to be a part of changing this and show girls that there are companies paving the way for female engineers.

"I want to help break the gender stereotypes and show young girls like me that they can be engineers and work in STEM roles.”

The Learn Live programme has been viewed by more than 107,000 students and teachers since it launched in 2017.
 
Schools can sign up for the events by registering via the Learn Live website https://learnliveuk.com/partner/gatwick-airport-careers/.
 
Melanie Wrightson, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Gatwick Airport said:

“Our popular Learn Live broadcasts are among the highlight of the year at Gatwick. Since the programme launched in 2017, it has proven a key part of our engagement with local schools, receiving fantastic feedback.
 
“With the local region having been hit so hard by the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we are able to support local children through developing skills and employability, and inspiring them particularly in STEM subjects.”
 
The airport also hopes that the Learn Live programme will help to inspire the next generation of young people to consider working at Gatwick.

By 2038, Gatwick hopes to create an additional 18,400 jobs through its plan to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use alongside its Main Runway.

This will include 1,300 jobs in construction.
 
A 12-week public consultation has started on the plans, which closes on 1 December.