Manchester,
31
October
2022
|
13:56
Europe/London

MAG unveils plans to inspire and develop the next generation of aviation professionals

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·       UK’s largest group of airports launches new programme of education, training, and careers support

·       MAG’s commitment to future talent comes as the Government launches its ‘Generation Aviation’ scheme

·       Announcement comes as MAG publishes its annual CSR Report

·       The report reiterates the Group’s commitment to be net zero by 2038 and its commitment to supporting local communities

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) today launched a major drive to create the next generation of aviation talent.

From primary school pupils to PhD students, MAG Connect will educate and inspire people of all ages about the range of exciting and dynamic opportunities a career in aviation can offer.

MAG, which is the UK’s largest group of airports, operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports. The Group’s network of education and employment facilitates include its Aerozones for school-aged children, its Academies for job seekers and Stansted Airport College – the only airport in the UK with an on-site further education facility.

Over the next 12 months, the MAG Connect initiative will:

  • Support the education of around 12,000 young people, welcoming them to visit its Aerozone facilities
  •  Introduce a new Jet Zero curriculum focused on decarbonisation throughout its Aerozones by next September
  • Continue to provide free fully accredited pre-employment training programmes aimed at jobs seekers and free upskilling training programmes for existing workforce
  • Organise multiple on-site jobs fairs to enable local jobs seekers to connect with on-site employers and secure roles at its airports
  • Launch writing competitions for Key Stage 2 and 3 students at schools around MAG airports to feature in ‘Little Book of Travel Tales’
  • Organise a series of events focussed on breaking down barriers and encouraging more female students to take up STEM roles

The Programme’s longer-term goals include supporting 60,000 young people through its Aerozones, and a minimum of 7,500 job seekers through its Academies, by 2025.

These commitments come as MAG publishes its latest annual CSR Report for the year 2021-22, which outlines the Group’s achievements over the last 12 months. The report provides an update on MAG’s progress in delivering its CSR Strategy “Working together for a brighter future”, first published in 2020.

The publication of this year’s report and MAG’s wholesale commitment to nurturing aviation talent aligns with the launch of the Department for Transport’s ‘Generation Aviation’ scheme, as part of the Government’s commitment to skills development in the aviation sector.

MAG is hosting an event at its Airport Academy at Manchester Airport to mark the launch of the scheme, with key employers from across the airport campus showcasing available opportunities to local jobseekers referred from the Job Centre Plus.

Neil Robinson, MAG’s CSR Director, said: “MAG Connect is a clear demonstration of our commitment to inspiring the next generation of aviation talent.

“By illustrating the breadth of opportunities in our industry to young people, and by supporting and upskilling job seekers into exciting career paths, the aviation sector stands to benefit from a new cohort of passionate professionals for the future.

“MAG Connect will play a crucial role in supporting the Government’s Generation Aviation scheme, and we will continue to work closely with Ministers to maximise that support. 

“Our latest annual CSR Report outlines the important contribution our education and employment facilities made to our communities over the last 12 months; alongside the progress we have made against our goal to be a net zero carbon business by 2038.

“Despite the challenges faced by our industry over the last 12 months, I am proud of what MAG has achieved in delivering a more sustainable future for our industry and those who live closest to our airports.”

More than 2,200 young people visited MAG’s Aerozones over the year, and its Airport Academies played a crucial role in the Group’s recruitment efforts as it recovered from the pandemic, making more than 10,000 referrals to jobs with MAG and other companies working at the airports.

MAG’s commitment to a sustainable future goes beyond education and employment, and this year’s report also detailed the work delivered to support communities and progress the Group’s decarbonisation agenda over the past 12 months, as it continued to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

As part of its ongoing work to deliver on its CSR Strategy, in recent months MAG has set out ambitious new commitments including:

  •  Announcing plans to publish a MAG Good Employment Charter by the end of 2022/23, which will set the standards people can expect when they work for the Group
  • The publication of Five new Jet Zero pledges to help drive forward the UK’s 2050 net zero target, including a commitment to create a new sustainability curriculum for its Aerozones, and to fund three PhDs focused on the decarbonisation of the aviation sector
  •  Allocating more than £350,000 of funding to local schools through its Community Trust Funds to create new Eco Gardens, to promote the importance and benefits of decarbonisation and biodiversity.
  •  Piloting its new Youth Forum scheme to put the views of young people across MAG’s local communities to greater effect in the Group’s plans for the future.

ENDS

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About Manchester Airports Group

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is the UK’s largest group of airports, which owns and operates Manchester Airport, London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airport. In 2019, the Group served over 60 million passengers.

To build a more sustainable future, MAG has an extensive and ambitious CSR Strategy in place, with a target to be Net Zero carbon by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the national target.  MAG was the first airport group in the UK to be certified as Carbon Neutral in 2016, as well as being a founding member of Sustainable Aviation in 2005. MAG was the only airport operator to be named a Financial Times’ ‘Climate Leader’ two years in a row and was the only airport to feature in 2022.

All our passengers can offset their flight emissions with CarbonClick, supporting decarbonisation projects in the UK and abroad. Click here for more information.

To learn more about MAG’s sustainability plans click here.